The trademark BVLGARI displayed in their in jewelry, watches, accessories, fragrances, skincare and leather goods is an adaptation of company’s Greek founder, Sotirios Voulgaris’ surname. Originally known for its jewelry, Bulgari is now synonymous with luxury brands of watches, perfumes, accessories, and hotels.
Sotirios Voulgaris, the company’s founder, was born in Kalarites, a small village. He began his career as a jeweler in the Greek village of Paramythia, opening his first store there. This same store has survived and is still open on Epirus, Greece. In 1881 Voulgaris moved to Rome setting up Bulgari in 1884.
That store on Via Sistina replaced by the 1905 flagship store on Via de Dei Condotti.
Bulgari is a family business. Sons Costantino and Giorgio have followed in their father’s footsteps. Bulgari expanded internationally opening stores in New York City, Paris, Geneva and Monte Carlo in the seventies.
Bulgari now has over 300 stores in exclusive shopping centers around the world. The largest, the ten-storey Bulgari Ginza Tower in Tokyo contains a restaurant and lounge bar.
At the beginning of the millennium, Bulgari Spa joined with Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels’ Luxury Group to launch the new luxury Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. The first to open was Milan in 2004, followed by a resort in Bali in 2006, a hotel in London in 2012. The latest Bulgari luxury hotel is slated to open in Shanghai in 2015.
In 2011 French luxury group, Louis Vuitton, partnered with Bulgari to buy just over half the shares in Bulgari Spa. This doubled the watches and jewelry unit including Tag Heuer watches and De Beers diamond necklaces.
Always a civic-minded enterprise, Bulgari donated thirteen million Euros to Save the Children. The money has helped 334,101 children. Also, almost ten thousand teachers trained and over two hundred schools upgraded.
Bulgari enterprises gross nearly two billion euros a year and employ nearly four thousand.
