News from Italy
Farewell to the “Godfather of Denim”
Adriano Goldschmied, a legend of the fashion industry and pioneer of denim, has passed away. Goldschmied transformed jeans from a casual garment into a luxury item.
Thanks to Adriano Goldschmied, every pair of jeans we wear today is not just clothing, but an expression of identity, culture, and innovation. The “godfather of denim,” who revolutionised jeans, was 82 years old. He was the visionary who turned denim into a symbol of style, innovation, and sustainability, inspiring generations of designers worldwide. Until his final days, he was working on a zero-impact jeans project. “It will be a long process, but necessary: it is the challenge of the century,” he had said.
A Revolutionary Career
Born on November 29, 1943, in Ivrea to a family of Trieste origin with Jewish roots, he was named after Adriano Olivetti, to whom his father, Livio—connected to the Partito d’Azione and Giustizia e Libertà—was deeply attached. Goldschmied discovered the appeal of denim by observing American soldiers in the postwar period. “For us, it was the clothing of heroes,” he recalled. That youthful impression evolved into an entrepreneurial vision that would forever change the fashion industry.
After an initial attempt in the ski industry, he opened a shop in the early 1970s in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the King’s Shop, which quickly became an international reference point for trendsetting fashion. It was there that he grasped a principle that would guide his entire career: there is always a market segment willing to pay for uniqueness. From this insight came the concept of “premium denim.” He then launched the first denimproductions in Italy, helping to create a Veneto-based district that would become one of the most important in the world.
In the 1970s, he founded the Genius Group, a true creative hub from which some of the biggest names in the industry would emerge. Among them were Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel, who always acknowledged Goldschmied as his mentor, and Claudio Buziol, creator of Replay. The list of his ventures is extensive: from Gap 1969 to Agolde, from Goldsign to AG Adriano Goldschmied, as well as Citizens of Humanity and House of Gold.
Not only brands: Goldschmied was also a technical innovator. He was responsible for popularising the stonewash technique, introducing innovative fibres such as Tencel, and developing stretch denim, which revolutionised comfort and fit.
In recent years, his focus has shifted toward the environmental impact of the denim industry. He often pointed out that producing a single pair of jeans can require up to 7,000 litres of water—a figure he considered unsustainable in the long term. “A revolution similar to the one in food is coming,” he explained, emphasising the importance of traceability, materials, and production processes. He collaborated with companies and research centres to develop more sustainable and less impactful textiles, convinced that the future of fashion must necessarily pass through sustainability.
Goldschmied passed away at the hospital in Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso) after a long illness. He was 82. He is survived by his wife, Michel, and daughters Glenda and Marta, the latter already active in the industry with her own line. In recent months, he has returned to live in Asolo (Treviso) after spending many years between the United States and Italy, never ceasing to work on new projects. Until the very end, his obsession remained the same: to create zero-impact jeans—a challenge he himself called “the challenge of the new century.”