Esprit

Esprit emerged in the late 1960s with Californian origins and an early international outlook. Susie Tompkins Buell and Douglas Tompkins established the business in San Francisco, and in the early 1970s it was registered in the United States as Esprit de Corp.

A European branch opened in Germany in 1976, and the modern logo followed in 1979. The Real People Campaign of 1985 became an especially recognisable chapter in its visual history.

By 1993 Esprit Holdings was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Clothing, footwear, accessories, home products, and licensed categories subsequently formed a broad international lifestyle portfolio, with perfume extending the overall brand rather than operating as an independent house.

The Esprit story is therefore one of California, European development, and a wide retail and licensing network. Its lasting identity rests on accessible everyday design and a clear graphic language.