Adriano Goldschmied, widely considered the “Godfather of Denim,” passed away on Sunday morning in Italy. He was 82.
The Italian-born designer earned this title from working for nearly 50 years in the denim industry, during which he pioneered new techniques and styles and revolutionizing how the world looks at and wears this fabric via innovative washes and designs.
Born in Trieste, Italy, he opened his first retail store, the King’s Shop, in the ski resort of Cortina D’Ampezzo in the 1970s. Since then, he has been responsible for some of the world’s most successful and innovative denim brands, among them Goldie, Diesel, Replay, Gap 1969, AG, and Goldsign.
His accomplishments are numerous, from the stonewash technique, the use of tencel fibre, and super stretch denim. More recently, developed an activewear denim line, Acynetic, using eaving technologies and groundbreaking stretchability for more comfort in denim.
