Industry | Retail |
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Founded | London, UK |
Area served
|
Worldwide |
Products | Clothing, accessories |
Website | www |
Joseph is a fashion brand and retail chain that was established in London by Moroccan entrepreneur Joseph Ettedgui and his family in 1972.
The Joseph brand grew from a small shop attached to a hairdressing salon in King's Road, Chelsea, owned by Casablanca-born Joseph Ettedgui and his brothers Maurice and Franklin, to more than 20 London stores, with eight additional outlets in New York City and Paris plus stores in Leeds and Manchester.
Joseph Ettedgui’s love of fashion meant the brothers began displaying designer clothes in their hair salon in the 1960s, including the work of pioneering Japanese designer Kenzo Takada. The success of this early collaboration led to a move into fashion retailing, with the first store opening below the Chelsea hair salon in the early 1970s and the first large-scale retail outlet opening on Sloane Street in 1979.
Joseph stores championed the work of many up-and-coming designers, including Margaret Howell, Katharine Hamnett, John Galliano and Azzedine Alaïa. Own brand clothing began with distinctive knitwear (Joseph Tricot) and went on to include women’s clothing, perfume, homewares (Joseph Pour La Maison), and Joe's restaurants. Joseph has been the recipient of a number of British Fashion Awards, including Knitwear Designer of the Year four times between 1990 and 1994 and a British Fashion Award in 2000 presented by Cherie Blair.
The stores were as distinctive and influential to the UK retail scene as the clothes in them. Joseph was among the first to combine a restaurant and shop in one space. The Sloane Street store has a Joe's Restaurant on site and the Brompton Cross store has a Joe's Restaurant across the road. The Sloane Street, Knightsbridge flagship store was opened in 1979, and was designed by acclaimed architect Norman Foster. Joseph also collaborated with other architects and designers – including Eva Jiricná, Andrée Putman and Raëd Abillama Architects – on its retail and restaurant projects.