Enrico Coveri

A former model and stage designer, he founded the eponymous fashion house in Florence and was acclaimed for his creations ever since his first appearance on the catwalks of Milan and Paris in 1977.

Enrico Coveri was born in Prato, near Florence, Italy and studied at the Accademie delle Belle Arti in the city. He began his career as a freelance designer, creating knitwear and sportswear lines for three collections, Touché, Gentry, and Tycos, making his mark by being one of the first designers to use soft pastel shades. After a brief move to Paris in 1978 to work for Espace Cardin, he returned to Italy and established his own namesake company.

Although he excelled at casual clothing, even his eveningwear exuded a young, sporty, wearable feel. Coveri enjoyed shocking and going out on a limb with design. "I love the unexpected to the point of traveling everywhere without set itineraries," he declared when, after three seasons pursuing his ultra casual look, he suddenly produced a collection of extremely feminine tight skirts and high heels. "That certainly shattered the common belief of Coveri only doing things for 16-year-olds," he recalled.

Asked for his design inspiration, he replied that he never really gave it any serious intellectual thought, preferring spontaneous incidents to spark ideas and feelings.

Although Enrico Coveri died of a stroke in 1990, at the age of 38, the business was continued by his family. Under the direction of his sister and a chosen design team, successive collections continued to evoke Coveri's acknowledged fashion legacy.