Etro is between creative directors. Marco De Vincenzo, who reset the brand’s aesthetic in 2022, departed in March 2026 after four years. The Italian luxury house was founded in 1968 by Gerolamo Etro as a textile firm and built its identity on the paisley pattern, with categories spanning ready-to-wear, accessories, home, and children’s.
Etro is in the middle of an ownership transition. Private equity firm L Catterton acquired 60% of the brand from the founding family in July 2021 at a €500 million valuation, and over the following years, recapitalized the company twice to fund the turnaround. In December 2025, Rams Global, Swinger International, and SRI Group bought out the Etro family’s remaining minority stake, completing the family’s exit. CEO Fabrizio Cardinali, in role since 2021, leads execution; Faruk Bülbül of Rams Global, a Turkish luxury real estate group, was appointed chairman and is expected to scale Etro Residences, the brand’s lifestyle hospitality extension.
Etro is privately held and does not publish detailed retail metrics, but the strategic direction is clear. Three areas drive expansion: Asia and digital growth on the direct side, plus category extension through licensing partners (eyewear with Safilo, fragrances and home with Coty, children’s with Simonetta). The home line and the planned Etro Residences hospitality extension represent the lifestyle bet under new chairman Bülbül. For mall operators, Etro is mid-reset: new ownership pool, vacant creative role, and a stated push toward Asia-led retail. Pipeline conversations now route through Cardinali’s team, not legacy family contacts.
