Kean ETRO

Designer, Etro

Kean Etro was born in Milan on a windy day in 1964, the Year of the Dragon. After studying against the backdrop of the majestic mountainscape of Villars Svizzera, he attended Aiglon College followed by Cambridge before returning to Milan to study Medieval History. He joined the company in 1986 to work on upgrading the information systems. In 1989 he developed the Etro Perfumes division. In 1990 he designed the first Menswear collection, giving extraordinary momentum to the wave of creative transformation that was already sweeping the Etro brand.

In 1997 he presented the first Menswear show, theorising the concept of New Tradition, which would become a keystone theme of his style. He also designed the Womenswear collection until his sister Veronica came on board in 2000. Kean is highly sensitive to environmental and social themes, creating and developing initiatives such as “Gli Oggetti dell’Affetto” (Objects of Love) with Sotheby’s for the Vidas charity association or “Tree of Life”. Volcanic, passionate and cultured, Kean is dominated by a nomadic, cosmopolitan and generous spirit.

“The definition of a designer is too tight-fitting for me, I’d prefer to be associated with the idea of an imp, a fantasy creature that discovers and rediscovers brand new ideas. What I want is to find unprecedented and solid solutions in an entirely Natural ability”.