2:15 pm today

Fashion tycoon Isak Andic dies in mountain accident

2:15 pm today
This handout image released by Mango on December 14, 2024 shows an alternative crop of Mango fashion powerhouse non executive chairman and founder Isak Andic who died unexpectedly December 14, 2024 in an accident according to a press release from Mango. - The founder and non-executive chairman of Spanish clothing retailer Mango, Isak Andic, one Europe's largest fashion groups with nearly 2,800 sores worldwide, died December 14, 2024 in an accident, the company said. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / MANGO / HANDOUT /  " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Isak Andic Photo: AFP / LLUIS GENE

The founder and owner of fashion empire Mango, Isak Andic, has died in a mountain accident. He was 71.

The businessman slipped and fell over 100 metres from a cliff while hiking with relatives in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona, a police spokesperson said.

"His departure leaves a huge void but all of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements. It is up to us ... to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak was ambitious and proud of," Mango's CEO, Toni Ruiz, said in a statement.

Born in Istanbul, Andic moved with his family to the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia in the 1960s and founded Mango in 1984. He was worth US$4.5 billion, according to Forbes. He was non-executive chairman of the company when he died.

He was seen as a rival to Amancio Ortega, the owner of Inditex, the world's largest fast-fashion retailer.

Mango had a turnover of € 3.1 billion in 2023 with 33 percent of its business online and a presence in more than 120 markets.

- Reuters