Custo Barcelona: Mango's idea is 'opportunist'

Custo Dalmau, the designer and businessman behind the brand ‘Custo Barcelona’ was surprised with the announcement made by Mango regarding the possible addition of the name of the Catalan capital to its brand name. He added that it is an 'opportunist' idea from the Spanish fashion retailer. “I think they are copying a model that already exists and that was created by us”, said Dalmau. “Obviously we don’t have the property over the city’s name that is part of all the ones who lives in it”, but the idea is barely original taking into account that we bet for it more that ten years ago”, added the catalan designer.

According to what Mango’s president, Isak Adic, revealed last weekend in a forum to promote the Catalan capital in New York, his company is having conversations with the city council to turn the brand into 'Mango Barcelona'.

The plans of the retailer born in the Catalan capital include putting the word 'Barcelona' along with the name 'Mango' in small characters. If the negotiations go ahead, by next year the new name will appear printed in the millions of bags that are distributed in the company’s 1.800 stores all around the world.

“We are the ones who created the model,” said Custo to FashionUnited. “That is why I consider this is an opportunist idea from them” he said, considering that Barcelona is a ‘hot spot city. We were the ones that more than ten years ago bet on it”. He also hopes that if Mango’s idea goes ahead, it won’t lead to confusion amongst consumers.

Custo Barcelona, set up by the brothers Custo and David Dalmau in 1980, has 27 stores in Spain, United States, Paris, Rome and Milan. In the next months they will make an investment of 2 million dollars to launch a new store in Barcelona and seven in the United States. It is also the only Spanish brand that participated in New York Fashion Week.

Image: Custo