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Bvlgari – From Greek to Roman to Worldwide Luxury God
May 8, 2008
Bvlgari is recognized as one of the leading luxury jewelers in the world. Their jewelry made a name for them and since their beginning they have also moved into offering a full collection of watches, handbags, fragrances, accessories and even hotels.
The Bvlgari name is written with the “v” in place of the “u” in classic ancient Roman style and comes from the name of the founder, a Greek man named Sotirios Vulgaris (1857-1932). Mr. Vulgaris began as a jeweler in his home village Paramythia (Epirus, Greece). He opened his first retail location there, where it still stands and operates today. He left Greece in 1877 for Corfu and then Naples, before settling in Rome where he founded the Bvlgari Company. The first official Bvlgari boutique opened on via Sistina in 1884.
Years later in 1904, the current flagship store was opened on via dei Condotti by the master jeweler and his two sons, Constantino (1889-1973) and Giorgio (1890-1966). Bvlgari received a warm reception; in little time, it became successful and world renowned. The wealthy and famous came to Bvlgari for the unique, high quality designs combining Greek and Roman art.
Years passed and the company continued on successfully gaining notoriety even after the passing of the Sotirios Vulgaris in 1932. Son Giorgio passed away in 1966 prior to Bvlgari expanding internationally. In the 1970s, boutiques were opened in key luxury markets in New York City, Paris, Geneva and Monte Carlo. The company was passed on to the grandchildren of Sotirios, Paolo and Nicola Bulgari, in 1984.
Paolo and Nicola were named Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, while nephew Francesco Trapani was named chief executive officer. Trapani diversified the company in the early 1990s with the introduction of the Bvlgari perfume line. The new millennium brought a partnership between Bvlgari and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to found the Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts opening the doors, literally, to the first Bvlgari hotel in Milan in 2004. A second Bvlgari hotel quickly followed in 2006 in the exotic and splendid Bali. Currently, there are over 230 retail Bvlgari locations including Beverly Hills, Bal Harbours, Boston, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Palm Beach, San Francisco, and Waikiki and most recently, Scottsdale, Arizona, a growing luxury retail hotspot.
One of the prime and largest turnover products – a striking 26% turnover – for Bvlgari is their watches. Headquartered in Neuchatel, Switzerland, Bvlgari Time develops its own calibers and parts, including highly complicated mechanisms and basic calibers. At BaselWorld 2006, Bvlgari unveiled the complicated Assioma Multi-Complication watch featuring a tourbillion, perpetual calendar and second time zone. The Bvlgari watch line includes Bvlgari-Bvlgari, Assioma, Rettangolo, Ergon, Diagono, B.Zero1, Cerchi, and Lucea.
Under the direction of Trapani with his goals of venturing into new luxury product markets, Bvlgari has evolved into the luxury brand it is today.
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