Milan-based United Colors of Benetton Co-Founder Gilberto Benetton died yesterday at the age of 77 following a short illness. The retailer, known for its colorful sweaters and culturally diverse advertising campaigns that brought attention to world issues, rose to fame in the ’80s and ’90s.
Gilberto and his brothers Luciano and Carlo and their sister Giuliani founded the company in northeast Italy in 1965. Carlo Benetton died earlier this year.
As one of Italy’s wealthiest families, Reuters reports, Gilberto was head of the family’s holding company Edizione, which controls the country’s largest infrastructure group Atlantia, as well as the largest travel center Autogrill and Rome’s airports.