World Monitor Magazine #1 WM march 2018 (1) | Page 44

Bulgari
Sotirios Bulgaris was a Greek jeweler, a
native of the village of Paramitia in the
Epirus region, a picturesque corner of
Greece where the first boutique opened
to them has survived to this day. In
1877, Bulgaris moved to Corfu, then to
Naples and in 1881 was in Rome, where
he opened several jewellry and antique
shops, including a boutique on Via Sistina
(1884).
In 1905 , a boutique on Via Sistina
replaced the modern flagship store brand
on Via Condotti 10, which became a
‘historical monument’. Sotirios Bulgaris
opened it with the participation of his
sons - Constantino (1889-1973) and
Giorgio (1890-1966). To attract the
Anglo-Saxon audience, who came from
the United States and Great Britain, the
store was named Old Curiosity Shop
(‘Ancient Shop’). Only after 1910 he began
to specialize in jewellry, inspired by the
Paris and American jewellry schools.
In 1932 , Sotirios handed over control
of the company to his sons, and in 1934 he
died. In the same year, the sons expanded
the boutique on Via Condotti. Its grand
opening took place on April 9, 1934.
With the founding of the Cinecitta film
studio in Rome, the stars of the Roman
boutique Bulgari became the stars of
the cinema: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene
Dietrich, Clark Gable, Harry Cooper,
Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Romy
Schneider, Gina Lollobrigida and others.
In the 1970s , Bulgari opened its first
boutiques in New York, Paris, Geneva and
Monte Carlo. Over the years, the company
retains a showroom in the New York Hotel
Pierre Hotel.
In 1984 , the grandsons of Sotirios
Paolo and Nikola Bulgari became
president and vice president, and his
nephew Francesco Trapani became the
company's CEO. In the early 1990s, the
release of Bulgari perfume, Trapani
began the process of diversification. With
him, the reputation of the company as
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