IMG TURNS 50

In January the IMG celebrated its 50th anniversary since being founded by those great forebears of ours, when the famous Mr JBWA Giesbers from Meddens of Holland, the father of fathers, established the International Menswear Group. In 1958 Mr Giesbers was unanimously elected as the first president of the IMG with founding family owner retailers Fein from Switzerland, Brødrene Andersen of Denmark and Ströms of Sweden. In 2008, 50 years later within a few weeks of the original meeting at the American Hotel in Amsterdam, 250 celebrities from the design and manufacturing trade joined the current members of the IMG in a spacious design studio in Milan during fashion week to enjoy each other's company, some splendid wines and wonderful food. Luis Sans from Spain, our president, welcomed everyone and Jack Mitchell, USA and Larry Rosen, made rousing speeches. Among the guests were Kean Etro, Gildo Zegna, Paolo Canali, Jan Borghardt, Derek Rose, Robert Tateossian and owners and designers from Kiton, Hugo Boss, Brioni, Oxxford and several other major European houses. The IMG has grown since 1958 and Henry Bucks, represented by both Tim Cecil senior and junior, are one of the longest serving members of this powerful group of high class retailers. Three times during the past 20 years, Tim Cecil has been elected president of the group and Henry Bucks continues to play a pivotal role in the administration and archival history keeping of the IMG. The IMG 50th gala gathering was considered to be the highlight of Milan fashion week and many guests suggested we should make this a permanent fixture in the Italian fashion calendar each year.