A family matter
The Spanish company Gigi Barcelona is growing quickly and has a goal: to become a greener company. WMIDO talked of these matters to its CEO Patricia Ramo.
When and how did you launch your brand?
It was back in 2014, when I was 21 years old. I joined the family business and decided to focus all my energies on building up a new brand. In the 1960s, my grandfather founded one of the first factories for frames in Barcelona. My father, Luis Ramo, remained at the forefront for 35 years and he is still in the company as a key element for me.
How is your company organised worldwide?
Our headquarters are in Barcelona and we also have another office in Miami to reach the USA Market. At this moment in time, we have great sales teams in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Belgium. All these teams are constantly growing, because we have more and more customers. Also, we have distributors in important markets such as Russia, Canada, Israel and Poland.
What are your latest economic figures?
This year, we have had the best first quarter of our entire history. We had growth of over 120% compared to the same period of the previous year. These are impressive figures that consolidate the growth experienced in 2018, a financial year when our invoicing grew by 100%, reaching 6 million euros. This year we expect to pass the 12 million euro mark.
On which markets would you like to develop your brand more and why?
Gigi Barcelona is already in optical shops in 45 countries around the world. This year, we have invested in the USA to create our affiliated company there. At the moment, we have a General Manager in the USA, along with four accounts executives. We want to expand that team and become a reference brand on the USA market. Additionally, the main markets all over the American continent are important to us, as well, of course, as Europe, where we expect to continue growing.
What do you think of the success of Spanish eyewear brands?
Spanish eyewear and fashion brands are experiencing a very good time at present. There is a lot of talent, many young designers developing very interesting projects. This is a stimulating environment for me and, personally, it is an incentive to continue working at the highest level.
How was 2019 MIDO for the company and will you take part in the 2020 edition?
Of course! MIDO 2019 was great. We presented our April Collection there, with a very complete and balanced selection of styles with special designs for both men and women. And we also launched ‘Beyond’, our first Capsule Collection, for which we received incredible feedback. For the next edition of MIDO we’ll have a new booth and many new features that we are working on.
Is there anything you can tell us about your plans for next season?
Next season will be key for us with lots of news and, to be honest, also a personal challenge. I’m very proud of our new designs and the new campaign that will be launched at the global sales meeting we are holding in mid-August.
We are working hard to form a very competitive company, backed by a very talented and professional team. The idea is to turn the company into a global, strong, benchmark brand, with the ambition to be powerful at all levels and able to offer the best product to our customers.
One of our company’s most important factors is its sustainability programme and our commitment to becoming a greener company by using biodegradable plastics.