This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. (April 2019) |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Luxury leather goods |
Founded | 1845 |
Products | Handbags |
Website | Mark Cross |
Mark Cross is an American luxury leather goods brand. Founded in 1845, the company started as a bridle, harness, and saddle maker before shifting to luxury leather goods. [1]
Mark Cross opened its doors in Boston in 1845, eventually moving its headquarters to New York. Soon after, employee Patrick Murphy purchased Mark Cross and expanded the product offering to luxury leather goods. [2]
Patrick’s son, Gerald Murphy, took over as the company’s president in 1934 after years of living abroad. [2] Before leading Mark Cross, he and wife Sara were wealthy expatriates living at Cap d'Antibes and forming relationships with many artists and writers of the Lost Generation. [3]
Gerald’s friendship with Alfred Hitchcock led to him to design an overnight case for Grace Kelly’s character in the 1954 movie Rear Window - an early example of product placement in film. [3] Later, one with Lee Iacocca led to Mark Cross branding being used on 1980s Chrysler cars equipped with leather upholstery.
After the Murphys sold the business, Mark Cross went through a succession of different ownership until it was shut down in the late 1990s by its then-owner Sara Lee. It was purchased by Neal J. Fox and relaunched in 2011, manufacturing its products in the same Italian factories as the company did over 40 years earlier. [4]
Fendi is an Italian luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925 by Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods. Since 2001, Fendi has been part of the “Fashion & Leather Goods” division of the French group LVMH. Its headquarters are in Rome, in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particularly in the 1920s, that included a great number of artists and writers of the Lost Generation. Gerald had a brief but significant career as a painter.
Tapestry, Inc. is an American multinational fashion holding company. It is based in New York City and is the parent company of three major brands: Coach New York, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman. Originally named Coach, Inc., the business changed its name to Tapestry on October 31, 2017.
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and headquartered in London, England. It designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats, leather accessories, and footwear. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Montblanc is a German manufacturer and distributor of luxury goods, founded in Berlin in 1906, and currently based in Hamburg. The company is most known for its luxury pens; it also designs and distributes bags, perfumes, small leather goods, and watches. Since 1993, Montblanc has been part of the Swiss Richemont group.
Shoe polish, also known as boot polish and shoeshine, is a waxy paste, cream, or liquid that is used to polish, shine, and waterproof leather shoes or boots to extend the footwear's lifespan and restore its appearance. Shoe polishes are distinguished by their textures, which range from liquids to hard waxes. Solvent, waxes, and colorants comprise most shoe polishes. Shoe polishes that would be recognizable today have been around since the Middle Ages. Originally made with dubbin, they were only used to soften leather and weather proof shoes, they did not shine shoes. However, the popularity of shoe shining that arose during the early 1900s led to many shoe polish formulas being incorporated with a shining agent.
Hermès International S.A. is a French luxury design house and manufacturer established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, silk goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Since the 1950s, its logo has been a depiction of a ducal horse-drawn carriage.
Shinola is an American lifestyle brand based in Detroit, Michigan. It produces and sells watches, bicycles, leather goods, clocks, home goods, and jewelry. Founded in 2011, Shinola takes its name from a common saying that harkens back to the defunct Shinola shoe polish company. The company was founded by Tom Kartsotis and is owned and operated by Texas-based investment group Bedrock Group LP.
Frank Smythson Limited, commonly known as Smythson, is a British manufacturer and retailer of luxury stationery, leather goods, diaries, and fashion products based in London, England. The company's founder, Frank John Smythson, was born in 1847 at Holborn and was a son of Marcus Alfred Smythson, a professor of music. He opened his first store on 29 September 1887 at 133 New Bond Street in London. Smythson's flagship store is located nearby at 131-132 New Bond Street.
Tod's S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house specialized in footwear, apparel, and related accessories headquartered in Marche, Italy. Its core branding includes an oval nameplate and roaring lion, with signature brown and orange packaging. The company is an influencer in the Sprezzatura fashion movement. Its highest-selling products are pebble-sole “Gommino” driving shoes, leather (suede) loafers, boots, sneakers, and handbags.
Longchamp is a French leather goods company, founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company pioneered luxury leather-covered pipes before expanding into small leather goods. Longchamp debuted women's handbags in 1971, becoming one of France's leading leather goods makers. Today, the company designs and manufactures leather and canvas handbags, luggage, shoes, travel items, fashion accessories, and women's ready-to-wear. The house is privately owned and managed by the Cassegrain founding family and does business in 80 countries through around 1,500 retail outlets.
Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A., doing business as Ferragamo, is an Italian luxury fashion house focused on apparel, footwear, and accessories headquartered in Florence, Italy. It specializes in designing and manufacturing footwear and leather goods, which together account for over 86% of its revenue. The remaining products include ready-to-wear, silk products, fashion accessories, and licensed eyewear, watches, and perfumes. It operates 447 mono-brand stores worldwide as of September 2022.
Celine is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1945 by designer Céline Vipiana. The headquarters are located at 16 rue Vivienne in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris at the Hôtel Colbert de Torcy, which has French Historic Monument classification.
Oroton is Australia's oldest luxury fashion company founded in 1938. The company's main product category is leather bags for women and men. The company sells other products such as eyewear, accessories and small leather goods, and launched its ready-to-wear apparel line in 2019. The company is based in Sydney and has close to 50 stores and concessions across Australia and Malaysia. Sophie Holt was appointed creative director in 2018. Oroton revolutionised fashion in Australia in the 1950s by replacing traditional materials used for evening bags with interwoven metallic mesh - a product invented in Australia and commonly known as Glomesh. Oroton is known for its signature mesh evening bags, which are still sold today.
The Kelly bag is a leather handbag designed by the Paris-based, high-fashion luxury-goods manufacturer Hermès. The bag was redesigned several times before it was popularized by and then named after the American actress and Monégasque princess Grace Kelly. The bag is now an expensive status symbol.
Valextra is a brand of luxury leather goods and accessories based in Milan, Italy. The name is a portmanteau of "Valigia", the Italian word for suitcase, and "extra".
Chrome Hearts is a luxury brand from Hollywood, founded in 1988 by Richard Stark, Leonard Kamhout and John Bowman. It is currently co-owned by Richard Stark and his wife Laurie Lynn Stark. Its logo contains a cross with the brand name around it on a circular ribbon. The brand produces silver, gold, and diamond accessories, alongside eyewear, leather items, apparel, furniture, kitchenware, and random objects. They are known for using leather, silver, and ebony. The production site covers three blocks in the middle of Hollywood and consists of multiple buildings and factories around the world. Production is mainly done in-house at the big production site in Hollywood. As of 2021, they have 1000 staff at their Los Angeles production site. Although not officially disclosed by Chrome Hearts, the brand is estimated to be worth around $1 billion.
Coach New York, commonly known as Coach, is an American luxury fashion house headquartered in New York City & specialized in handbags, luggage, and accessories, as well as ready-to-wear. Coach licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear and Paris-based Interparfums for fragrances. Stuart Vevers has been the executive creative director since June of 2013.
Frederic Timothy Murphy was the heir of a wealthy Bostonian family who served during World War I in France and at the Battle of the Somme, was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and died few years later due to his wounds.
Esther Strachey was an American academic, historian, and socialite.