Gabicci Limited was formed in 1973 by two
entrepreneurial friends, Jack Sofier and Alex Pyser.
Operating from offices and a basement warehouse in
Maddox Street, London W1, the merchandise on offer was
Italian knitwear, acetate/polyester for the Spring
season and wool with suede trim for Autumn. Their
designs were well received and over the next few years
business grew steadily.
Towards the late seventies, together with the
traditional Gabicci customer, the young and fashion
conscious became interested and Gabicci became a major
fashion brand.
In 1981 Jack introduced the Plated Jersey Shirt
into the range, having brought the idea back from the
United States and by 1984 turnover had soared. In the
Autumn of that year Gabicci launched its first full
totally co-ordinated range under the Concept label. A
year later the company became Gabicci plc following a
successful public launch and over the next few years the
group expanded greatly, forming and acquiring other
businesses, peaking in 1988.
During the harsh market conditions of the early
nineties Gabicci plc became the target of a take-over by
the clothing group Helene. Following this acquisition
Gabicci reverted to a limited company and the various
subsidiaries were closed to focus on the core brand. In
1997 under financial pressure, Helene plc were forced to
put Gabicci up for sale and The Legendary Joe Bloggs
entrepreneur, Shami Ahmed became the new owner.
Over recent years, we have seen Gabicci
re-establish its self as the leading menswear brand. The
introduction of a black label collection, with some
slightly younger, more sophisticated designs has helped
widened the brand's appeal, particularly in Europe.
