Isak Andic, founder of Mango fashion chain, dies at 71 in hiking accident

Isak Andic, who built the fashion brand Mango from a Spanish storefront into a global giant with more than 2,000 stores on five continents, died in a fall while hiking near Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. He was 71.

The death was announced by Mango CEO Toni Ruiz. The cause was confirmed by Glòria Torrent Caldas, a spokesperson for the company.

Andic, bespectacled and seen as relatively reclusive, started Mango in the mid-1980s by selling T-shirts in Barcelona. Over four decades, Mango grew into one of Spain’s leading international retailers, known for its creative, eclectic and ever-changing selection of affordable womenswear.

Andic, who held the title of nonexecutive chair at Mango, had a net worth of roughly $4.5 billion at the time of his death, according to Forbes magazine.

Ruiz said in a statement that Andic had dedicated his life to Mango, displaying “strategic vision” and “inspiring leadership.”

“His legacy reflects the achievements of a business project marked by success and also by his human quality,” Ruiz said in the statement.

Mango expanded beyond Spain in 1992 and opened its first U.S. location, in Los Angeles, in 2006. By 2008, it had launched a menswear line and opened an 8,000-square-foot store in the SoHo section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. In 2011, it held its first fashion show outside Spain.

Mango’s success, in part based on a nimble approach that involved frequently replacing its merchandise, led to its growth in more than 100 markets. Over the years, it has received some scrutiny for safety lapses along its supply chain.

This year, Mango expanded its footprint in the United States, opening locations for the first time in Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C., according to the company’s website. The company, which competes with fast fashion chains such as Swedish-based H&M and Spanish-based Zara, plans to have 40 American stores at year’s end, up from 10 in 2022.

Andic’s death prompted tributes from Spanish leaders, including the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who issued a statement praising Andic’s business acumen and offering condolences to his family.

Isak Andic Ermay was born in 1953 in Istanbul. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Barcelona, and he worked in the wholesale and retail sectors before opening Mango.

A full list of Andic’s survivors was not immediately available. But Jonathan Andic, his son, is an executive board member at Mango.

Ruiz said in his statement that Andic’s death “leaves a huge void, but we are all, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements.”

“In these extremely difficult times,” Ruiz added, “we share the family’s pain as if it were our own.”