Isak Andic, founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, dies in accident, aged 71

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, has died after suffering an accident, the company said on Saturday. He was 71.

“It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive chairman and founder of Mango, in an accident that occurred this Saturday,” Mango CEO Toni Ruiz said in a statement, without providing details.

Spanish news agency EFE and other media outlets, including La Vanguardia newspaper, said Andic died following a fall while hiking near Barcelona.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez paid tribute to Andic on social media, lauding his “hard work and business vision that transformed a Spanish brand into a global fashion leader.”

Andic’s family moved from Turkey to Spain when he was young. He opened Mango’s first store in Barcelona in 1984 and over the following decades helped Mango grow into one of Europe’s leading fast fashion makers.

Mango has 2,700 stores in 120 markets around the world. It set a company record of 3.1 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in sales in 2023. It is currently expanding in the U.S. and plans to have 65 stores there by the end of 2025.