Features:H&M Hennes & Mauritz is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company, known for its fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children.
Interesting facts:In 1947 founder Erling Persson opened his first store called Hennes, meaning "hers" in Swedish, in Västerås, 60 miles west of Stockholm, which exclusively sold women's clothing. In 1952 Hennes opened in Stockholm; the first store outside Sweden opened in Norway in 1964. In 1968, Persson acquired the premises and inventory of a Stockholm hunting equipment store named Mauritz Widforss; in the same year sales of men's and children's clothing began, and the name was changed to Hennes & Mauritz. From then onwards, the company embarked upon a major expansion program opening many further stores in Europe; the expansion outside of Europe started with the US (Fifth Avenue, New York) in 2000.
Hennes, the first storewas opened on the high street of Västerås, Sweden, selling exclusively women's clothing (1947)
Hennes, first opening in Stockholm, Sweden (1952)
Hennes advertising (1954)
Hennes, image from autumnal catalogue (ca. 1960)
H&M Hennes & Mauritz origin:founder Erling Persson buys Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and fishing equipment store; sales of men's and children's clothing begin, and the name is changed to Hennes & Mauritz (1968)
Erling Persson (Borlänge, Jan. 21, 1917 - Stockholm, Oct. 28, 2002), founder of H&M
H&M celebrates 500th North American store opening at Dolphin Mall in Miami (Dec. 2015)
Features: The company was founded on January 25, 1964 as "Blue Ribbon Sports" (BRS) by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman; it initially operated as a distributor for the Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger (now known as Asics). In 1966, BRS opened its first retail store, located in Santa Monica, California. In 1967, due to rapidly increasing sales, BRS expanded retail and distribution operations on the East Coast, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. By 1971, the relationship between BRS and Onitsuka Tiger was nearing an end, and the company changed to Nike Inc. In 1972, the first line of Nike footwear is introduced, including the so-called "Moon Shoes" and the Nike "Cortez", that became the company's most popular product. The first Nike retail store opened on November 21, 1990, at the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Salmon Street in Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States.
Interesting facts: The company takes its name from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. In 1971 the co-founder Bill Bowerman used his wife's waffle iron to create a new sole for footwear that would grip but be lightweight. The shoes was named "Moon Shoes" because of the resemblance of the waffle-patterned tread to footprints left by astronauts on the Moon.
Quote (Bill Bowerman): «If you have a body, you are an athlete»
Nike origins: the first Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) retail store opened in 1966 at 3107 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. The store distributed Onitsuka Tiger shoes.
Nike shoes U.S. patent (filed August 30, 1972) granted to Bill Bowerman. «An athletic shoe suitable for use on artificial turf is described including an improved upper of a porous multiple layer construction and an improved sole having integral polygon shaped studs. The upper is preferably made of nylon tricot fabric outer layer, a polyurethane foam middle layer, and a porous synthetic fabric inner layer. This greatly reduces the weight of a football shoe made in accordance with the invention so that it is approximately one-half the weight of a conventional leather football shoe as well as providing great comfort and enabling use in wet weather without damage. The sole has short multi-sided polygon shaped studs of square, rectangular or triangle cross section, having a plurality of flat sides which provide gripping edges that give greatly improved traction».
Rare Nike handmade "waffle" prototype shoes by Bill Bowerman. Jordan Geller, who owns hundreds of original Nike shoes housed in his ShoeZeum in California, bought these shoes in 2014 for $1,500 from an Oregon man, Jeff Wasson. Jeff says he was given the shoe in 2010 by Tom Bowerman, one of the sons of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman.
The original waffle iron that inspired Bill Bowerman to create Nike's "waffle" sole, and one of the shoes unearthed in a rubbish pit on Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman's property, on display at company headquarters near Beaverton.
Nike Moon Shoes (1972). Nike handed out this shoe to athletes competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon, 1972. The sole was designed to minimize its weight, maximize traction, and prevent blisters.
The American runner Mark Covert wearing Nike shoes (1972). Mark Covert, placed seventh in the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Eugene, Oregon, became the first person to cross a finish line wearing a pair of Nike shoes.
Nike "Swoosh" logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson while a graphic design student at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. For her services, the company paid her $35 ($206 in 2015 dollars). The Swoosh was first used by Nike on June 18, 1971, and was registered with the U.S. Patent Office on January 22, 1974.
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman (Portland, Feb. 19, 1911 - Fossil, Dec. 24, 1999), American track and field coach, designer of the first Nike shoes and co-founder of Nike Inc. with Philip Knight.
Nike Cortez advertising (May 1972). Originally designed in the mid-sixties by Bill Bowerman, an early 1967 catalog described the Cortez as «Designed to be the finest long distance shoe in the world. Soft sponge midsole through ball and heel absorbs road shock; high-density outer sole for extra miles of wear».
Nike Cortez advertising (June 1973). When Philip Knight and Bill Bowerman ceased importing and distributing running shoes through Blue Ribbon Sports and launched Nike as a designer and maker of athletic shoes, the Cortez silhouette carried over to the new brand.
Nike, the first retail store opened on November 21, 1990, at the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Salmon Street in Downtown Portland, Oregon, United States.
Nike Cortez, the iconic shoe designed by Bill Bowerman at the end of the sixties and released in 1972, returns in its original colorway - as seen in the cult movie "Forrest Gump" - to celebrate 43th anniversary (2015).
Patented: May 20, 1873 - San Francisco, California, USA
First price: In 1879 Levi's pants were selling for 1.46 USD
Features: The pants - called "waist overalls" - had one back pocket with the Arcuate stitching design, a watch pocket, a cinch, suspender buttons and a rivet in the crotch. The pants were made of 9 oz. XX blue denim, which comes from the Amoskeag Mill in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Interesting facts: Levi Strauss, a Bavarian-born dry goods merchant, came to San Francisco in 1853 at the age of 24 to open a West Coast branch of his brothers' New York wholesale dry goods business. One day the wife of a local laborer asked Jacob to make a pair of pants for her husband that wouldn't fall apart. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen his trousers and came up with the idea to put metal rivets at points of strain, like pocket corners and the base of the button fly. These riveted pants were an instant hit. Jacob quickly decided to take out a patent on the process, but needed a business partner to help get the project rolling. He immediately thought of Levi Strauss, from whom he had purchased the cloth to make his riveted pants. Davis wrote to Levi to suggest that the two men hold the patent together. Levi, being an astute businessman, saw the potential for this new product, and agreed to Jacob’s proposal. The two men received the patent on May 20, 1873.
Slogan (1887): «It's no use they can't be ripped».
XX: the first 501 jean with its guarantee ticket (ca. 1900)
Figure from Patent granted to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss (May 20, 1873)
Levi Strauss & Co., newspaper advertisement (The daily intelligencer, Seattle, June 4, 1880). «LEVI STRAUSS & CO.'S PATENT RIVETED CLOTHING, adapted especially for miner's wear».
Levi Strauss & Co., newspaper advertisement (Las Vegas daily gazette, July 7 1881)
Levi Strauss & Co., the "Two Horse Brand" leather tag (1887) showing a team of horses trying to pull apart a pair of pants, began to be sewn into the back of the company's "waist-high overalls", the term Levi Strauss preferred to "jeans".
Levi Strauss & Co., salesman's flyer (ca. 1900)
Levi's "Red Tab" (1936) was first placed onto the right back pocket of the overalls. The Tab was created to differentiate Levi's overalls from competitors.
The inventors of Levi's 501 jeans.
From left: Levi Strauss (Buttenheim, Feb. 26, 1829 - San Francisco, Sep. 26, 1902), businessman; Jacob W. Davis (Riga, 1831 - San Francisco, 1908), tailor, inventor, and entrepreneur.
Levi's 501, 150th Anniversary (1873-2023) products and celebrations
Features: Floral-aldehydic feminine fine fragrance. Top notes: Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Aldehydes; middle notes: Jasmine, Mayrose; base notes: Sandalwood, Vetiver.
Interesting facts: The official launch place and date of Chanel No. 5 was in rue Cambon boutique in the fifth month of the year, on the fifth day of the month: May 5, 1921. Chanel's mystical obsession with the number five again proved to be her lucky charm.
Ernest Beaux (Moscow, Dec. 8, 1881 - Paris, Jun. 9, 1961), the perfumer who created Chanel N°5, and Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (Saumur, Aug. 19, 1883 - Paris, Jan. 10, 1971), fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand.
Chanel N.5 official history in a video: "For the first time" (2012)
