On 4 March 1957, the mill Maglificio Daco, founded in 1921, opened its doors under the new owner Gian Ludovico Dini. Every aspect of the production took place within the company: from sourcing the yarns to producing the fabrics and making all the packaging. Clothes were shipped around the world thanks to prestigious partnerships with Christian Dior and Balenciaga.
At the start of the 1970s, Paolo (Paul) Dini, the eldest son of Gian Ludovico, during a trip to a small sailmaker’s workshop in Maine, found a sail from an old 18th-century clipper that caught his attention: the inscription read “Paul&Shark”.
The brands’ founder was known as one of the “Antwerp Six”, a group of avant-garde fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp’s infamous Royal Academy of Arts. Dirk Bikkembergs created provocative and innovative collections, devoted to his esthetic of the modern man; Strong, healthy and virile.
Dirk was the pioneer of the sport fashion fusion philosophy. Under his direction the brand created strong connections with the world of football and was the first brand to present fashion shows in the football stadiums of Milan and Barcelona, while also being the official designer of the famous Italian football team “Inter”, formalwear designer for both Spain’s “Malaga” and the Slovenian National football teams. In 2018 Bikkembergs was chosen as the official formalwear partner for the Russian Football Union.
The motto of the Bikkembergs brand is: “Mens sana in corporoe sano” (A sound mind in a healthy body). The brand aims towards a dynamic, modern man who wishes to be fashionable and contemporary.
Lee Wood, English born, has been appointed as creative director for Dirk Bikkembergs in 2016. He graduated from the Berkshire College of Art with diplomas in Art and Fashion Design. In 1998 he moved to Milan where he collaborated with some of the most important fashion brands and, a few years later, opened his own brand. A Talented designer and director, he continues to honor and evolve the brands’ heritage, understanding the needs of the contemporary man while encouraging an open dialogue between sportswear and the world of masculine fashion.
