Who started it?
Furla was set up by Aldo Furlanetto in 1927 in Bologna, selling luxury items such as hair accessories and leather goods to women. Furlanetto travelled across Europe stocking up on quality merchandise. In 1955, he opened his first store in Bologna, selling quality Italian-made bags and small leather goods.
In the late 1970s, Furlanetto passed the business to his three children, Giovanna, Carlo and Paolo. Soon after, they launched Furla's first bag collection, which was a big success. The bags gained a reputation because of the use of new materials such as nylon and rubber, as well as quality leather, often naturally dyed and hand-greased.
Among the novel designs over the years have been the Gummy Bag in hot-pressed rubber and the transparent Boarding Bag, designed for airport security.
During the next few decades, the brand expanded overseas. As well as being stocked in stores as Selfridges in London and Bloomingdales in New York, there are now 250 Furla boutiques in more than 73 countries, from Kazakhstan to Vietnam.
Furla releases two seasonal collections and produces more than a million bags a year. Last year it released its first footwear collection and signed a licensing agreement with Citizen watches. Giovanna Furlanetto per Furla, a new line, was also launched.
This year Furla introduced its first men's collection of bags with soft nappa styles in brown and black. The brand also celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and has released four limited-edition versions of one of its classic designs in 50 of its stores worldwide. Each season the bag will be available in a new material, including black natural cowhide, pony skin, buffalo effect calf and polished crocodile- print calf. Next year Furla plans to open an online store.