Fashion
Former Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani passes away at 68
Translated by
Nazia BIBI KEENOO
Published
September 11, 2025
Italy is mourning the death of Francesco Trapani, the iconic luxury goods executive best known for transforming the Bulgari family business into a global leader in jewelry. He died on September 10 at his home in Rome following an illness. He was 68. Trapani was the great-grandson of Sotirio Bulgari, founder of the Roman jeweler Bulgari, and took over the reins of the company in 1984 at the age of just 27.
A graduate in business economics from the University of Naples, Trapani specialized in business administration at New York University before joining the family company in 1981 as assistant to the chief financial officer. Over the course of three decades, he transformed the historic Roman jeweler into a major player in the international luxury market, accelerating its diversification into watches, perfumes, and accessories, and launching its expansion into the upmarket hotel industry. In 1995, he took Bulgari public on the Milan Stock Exchange.
Under Trapani’s leadership, Bulgari grew from €25 million in revenue, five boutiques, and 80 employees in 1984 to €1.5 billion in sales, 300 stores, and 4,000 employees by 2011.
When the company was sold to LVMH in 2011, it was valued at €4.3 billion. Following the acquisition, Trapani led the integration of Bulgari into the French luxury group, overseeing LVMH’s watch and jewelry division until 2014. He continued to advise Bernard Arnault on jewelry strategy for several years, remaining on LVMH’s board of directors until 2016.
In early 2014, Trapani joined the Italian investment fund Clessidra as chairman. He left in 2017 to join the board of Tiffany & Co., resigning at the end of 2018 following the announcement of the American jeweler’s pending acquisition by LVMH.
He later entered a new chapter in finance, becoming active in several investment groups, including Bluebell Capital Partners, Tages Group, and VAM Investments.
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, paid tribute to Trapani in a public message, praising his visionary leadership and enduring influence on the jewelry house.
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Fashion
Vista Alegre signs partnership with India’s Oma Living after exiting joint venture with Shree Sharda
Translated by
Nazia BIBI KEENOO
Published
September 11, 2025
The historic Portuguese luxury brand Vista Alegre, known for its porcelain, crystal, glassware, earthenware, and textiles, has partnered with Oma Living, India’s largest home and decoration retailer. The agreement follows Vista Alegre’s sale of its 50% stake in its Indian subsidiary, previously held through a joint venture with the Shree Sharda Group, according to ECO. The Portuguese group Vista Alegre, owned by conglomerate Visabeira and global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, brought the athlete on board as an investor after he acquired 10% of the parent company and 30% of its Spanish subsidiary. Vista Alegre finalized the deal in the first half of 2025, a period during which it reported an 8.4% year-over-year drop in profits to €3.6 million. ECO attributed the decline largely to a 35% surge in energy costs and contacted the 200-year-old company for further details about the partnership and its strategy for Asia.
In a statement to ECO, Vista Alegre Atlantis’s Portuguese management said: “Its expanded network of luxury stores in this segment, in the main cities of India, will allow an increase in the exposure of Vista Alegre brand products, an increase in brand awareness and growth in sales in that country,” adding that it considers India “an absolutely relevant market for its growth in Asia.”
Although sales in Portugal grew by 240,000 euros by June, the company’s main growth continues to come from international markets, which represent 76% of its revenue. Its top three destinations are Germany, Spain, and France. Asia and the Middle East added 4.7 million euros to total sales, prompting the company to establish a new subsidiary in partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo. This unit will focus on developing both the Vista Alegre and Bordallo Pinheiro brands in these high-potential regions.
Vista Alegre’s interim financial report for H1 2025 also confirmed the formalization of the sale of 49% of Vista Alegre Atlantis S.A. to Shree Sharda (based in Delhi), along with the sale of the remaining 1% held by Vista Alegre itself.
Vista Alegre, widely recognized for its fine porcelain and exclusive crystal and glass creations, entered the textile space in 2020 with a collection of scarves and blankets inspired by the decoration of its iconic porcelain collections. In 2023, the brand expanded the line with original fashion accessories. Vista Alegre’s textile collection focuses on carrés, pocket squares, and twillys, handcrafted from pure silk.
In 2019, even before its expansion into textiles, Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller launched a special-edition timepiece, the Franck Muller Atlântico, limited to 20 units and featuring a crystal case crafted by Vista Alegre.
Founded in 1824 near Ílhavo in the Aveiro district of Portugal, Vista Alegre is the oldest porcelain manufacturer on the Iberian Peninsula. The brand also owns Bordallo Pinheiro, and has engaged in creative collaborations with global talents, including supermodel Claudia Schiffer, fashion houses Christian Lacroix and Oscar de la Renta, as well as architects, chefs, visual artists, designers, writers, and musicians.
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The journey towards a net-zero textile industry advances as the H&M Foundation has opened nominations for the Global Change Award (GCA) 2026 on September 1. The annual innovation challenge supports bold changemakers working to reshape fashion.
The H&M Foundation has opened nominations for the Global Change Award (GCA) 2026, seeking early-stage innovations in responsible production, mindful consumption, sustainable materials, and wildcards.
In partnership with The Mills Fabrica, the award aims to accelerate transformative solutions like bio-based fibres, AI-driven design, and recycling.
Each year, new ideas emerge to transform how fashion is made, used, and valued. “Each new year when the nominations open, so much has happened in the world since the last round; we see new challenges, needs, technological break throughs and opportunities. I’m always curious to see the potential that’s out there, and the new disruptive ideas that passionate changemakers are sitting on right now,” said Annie Lindmark, programme director for Innovation at the H&M Foundation.
For the year 2026, GCA is seeking early-stage innovations in four categories: responsible production – rethinking how fashion is made; mindful consumption – redefining how we use and value fashion; sustainable materials and processes – reinventing fibres and methods; and wildcards – unexpected, transformative ideas with disruptive potential.
Applicants can also apply through The Mills Fabrica, an official nominator and long-standing GCA partner with hubs in Hong Kong and London. Positioned at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and textiles, The Mills Fabrica helps surface bold ideas often overlooked by traditional industry channels, H&M Foundation said in a release.
“We are truly excited to see creative, resilient, and purpose-driven innovators stepping forward – especially those with a deep-rooted commitment to driving impact at scale and a willingness to challenge the status quo,” Cintia Nunes, general manager and head of Asia at The Mills Fabrica, explains.
The nomination model has already diversified winner profiles and expanded the award’s global reach. Looking ahead, Lindmark expressed excitement for more ‘Wildcard’ submissions, while GCA’s Cintia highlighted opportunities in bio-based fibres, circular materials, AI-driven design, post-consumer recycling, and robotics for localised, demand-responsive manufacturing.
The 2026 edition aims to accelerate innovations that can drive systemic change in fashion’s sustainability journey, spotlighting changemakers with the courage to reimagine the industry.
“Supporting early-stage innovation is essential because it’s where the seeds of radical transformation begin,” Cintia said.
“In 10 years, I hope the changemakers we select today will have helped build a textile industry that thrives within planetary boundaries and supports human wellbeing,” Annie concluded.
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