Adriano Goldschmied has passed away
He kindly ruled over the world of denim. Until quite recently, he was a familiar face at industry trade shows, never giving up on finding new, more creative and more sustainable ways to make the product that he spent his career perfecting. Adriano Goldschmied passed away in Italy, his home country, last Sunday.
His name is linked to many of the most influential jeans brands. He founded Diesel, Replay, Gap 1969, Agolde, AG Adriano Goldschmied and Daily Blue, as well as 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity and DL1961. Through his Genius Group he designed landmark collections for Katharine Hamnett, or more recently Chloé.
Last November, at PV Denim, he took part in a panel talk with fellow Italian denim luminaries Maurizio Donadi and Massimo Berloni. The three legendary denim creatives shared their views on the evolution of the business, reminiscing on the freewheeling and bustling spirit of 1970s and 1980s and the shift to a globalised denim industry in recent decades. At the time he explained how his mission was to turn a commodity product into a true fashion item. “The industry has a lot of energy,” he said. “I want to be the solar panel that soaks it up.” Massimo Berloni, the founder of Dondup, praised Adriano’s economic contribution to the industry: “He created the wealth that so many brands have profited from”.
During the talk, Mr Goldschmied noted that he hated the word ‘consumer’. “It is totally against what we do. I design for people. In the past, I designed for buyers. I hated this as they were a filter between me and the people. Now, the system has changed, and we have more freedom to create.” He also insisted on the importance of cleaning up the negative environmental impacts of jeans making. “Now is the time for responsible purchasing. We need to make products that last and make people happy. When a woman decides to clean out her closet, I want her to keep the clothes that I made.”
Adriano was also an early supporter of Inside Denim, making himself readily available for interviews and sharing his extensive knowledge of denim and jeans as we made our first steps in the industry. He will always hold a special place in our blue hearts, and we extend our most sincere condolences to his wife, daughter and associates.
