The Consell Executiu approved this Tuesday to posthumously award the Gold Medal of the Generalitat, the highest honorary distinction granted by the Govern, to businessman Isak Andic. The 71-year-old founder of Mango died on Saturday after suffering an accident on Montserrat mountain.
Salvador Illa's executive recalls that, under Andic's leadership, Mango has become one of the most successful international fashion brands, with a presence in over 100 countries and thousands of stores worldwide. "It is a symbol of global success born in Catalonia," the Govern points out.
In parallel to the approval of the gold medal, more than 3,000 employees of the fashion company gathered at the corporate headquarters in Palau-solità i Plegamans to bid farewell to Andic. The event was attended by the family of Mango's founder, the management committee, and the CEO, Toni Ruiz, who highlighted "the will to continue with Isak Andic's project and legacy."
Ruiz emphasized that Mango's founder was "a visionary, a leader, a great colleague" and assured that they would follow his example. According to the CEO, the company is "at the best moment in its history thanks to the effort of all employees and the support of the Andic family."
Representing the family, Jonathan Andic showed commitment to the Mango project and pledged to maintain his father's legacy before the family. "Let us continue to honor his memory and legacy, keeping alive the values and teachings he left us. May his example inspire us to be better every day and to continue building the Mango of the future together," he remarked.
Isak Andic was born in 1953 in Istanbul into a Sephardic Jewish family and moved to Barcelona in his youth. In the 1970s, Andic began selling clothing imported from Turkey to markets and small stores in Barcelona. In 1984, together with his brother, he founded Mango, with a store on Paseo de Gràcia in Barcelona, an anniversary that the brand celebrated this year with its 40th anniversary.