Mango founder dies in hiking accident

Tragedy during a family trip: the founder of the Spanish clothing brand Mango, Isak Andic, died “in an accident that occurred on Saturday,” the group, one of the largest in Europe in the sector, announced on Saturday clothing. According to the Spanish press, the 71-year-old man of Turkish origin was with several members of his family in the saltpeter caves of Collbató, near Barcelona, ​​Catalonia, when he slipped and fell 150 meters.

“It is with deep regret that we announce the sudden death of Isak Andic, our non-executive board chairman and the founder of Mango, in an accident on Saturday,” said Toni Ruiz, CEO of this company, in a press release.

“Isak was an example for all of us. He dedicated his life to Mango, leaving an indelible mark thanks to his strategic vision, his inspiring leadership and his unwavering commitment to the values ​​he himself instilled in our company,” added Toni Ruiz.

Born in 1953 in Istanbul, Isak Andic moved to Barcelona at the age of 14 with his family. In 1984, with his older brother Nahman, he opened his first store on Paseo de Gracia, the city’s famous shopping street. And it was a huge success.

Spain had just emerged from a decades-long dictatorship that ended with the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975, and consumers were hungry for more modern clothing. Isak Andic “saw that we needed color, style,” explained the company’s global retail director, Cesar de Vicente, in an interview with AFP in March 2024.

The businessman quickly opened dozens of other stores in Spain and then abroad, starting in two neighboring countries, Portugal and France, all under the name Mango, today the name of the one of the leading international groups in its sector, with nearly 2,800 stores worldwide and 15,500 employees, according to its website.

Like its main Spanish competitor Inditex, a ready-to-wear giant that owns the famous Zara brand, Mango strives to quickly adapt its items to the latest fashion trends while offering affordable prices. This company has only one brand and does not have any factories, relocating its production mainly to Turkey and Asia, to manufacture at lower costs.

Isak Andic “realized that having the same name, having the same brand in all the stores, would make the concept much stronger”, underlined De Vicente in this regard. The entrepreneur, who spoke little in the media, was one of the richest men in Spain. Forbes magazine estimates his net worth and that of his family at $4.5 billion.

“His departure leaves a huge void,” commented Toni Ruiz, emphasizing “his human qualities, his closeness and the attention and affection that he always showed and transmitted at all times to the entire organization.” The head of the Catalan regional government, Salvador Illa, paid tribute to him as “a committed businessman who, through his leadership, contributed to making Catalonia a great nation and making it known to the world”. “He leaves an indelible mark in the Catalan and global fashion sector,” he added in a message on the social network X.