Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1979 - 1990 (Creation)
Level of description
collection
Extent and medium
25 paper catalogs, .25 linear feet
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1968, Susie and Doug Tompkins began selling clothes out of the back of their station wagon and the Esprit brand was officially incorporated as Esprit de corp in 1971. The brand expaned to Asia the same year, whch the couple took on a business partner, Michael Yang, in Hong Kong. By 1978, the company was earning more than $100 million in sales worldwide. The company is known for their political activism which is frequently incorporated into their advertising campaigns. In the mid 1990s, the brand exapnded their product range to include eyewear, tights, socks, timepieces and bed and bath linens. Many of the store concepts were designed by Ettore Sottsass, creator of the Memphis style, which whom the company has collaborated since 1982. In 2009 and 2010, the Esprit expanded its retail reach, opening flagship retail stores in Hong Kong, New York and Frankfurt.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
donation of Alain Capretz, December 2021
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This collection is comprised of 25 paper catalogs for the fashion brand Esprit, 1979-1990
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
chronological
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access is open to researchers by appointment at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library, Department of Special Collections and FIT Archives.
Conditions governing reproduction
The Department of Special Collections and College Archives does not own copyright for all material held in its physical custody. It is the researcher's obligation to abide by and satisfy copyright law (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108) when copying or using materials (including digital materials) found in or made available from the department. When possible, the department will inform a researcher about the copyright status of material, the researcher's obligations with regard to such material, and, wherever possible, the owner or owners of the copyrights. Any and all reproduction of originals is at the archivist's discretion.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Esprit (Firm) (Subject)