Connolly Leather
Connolly Leather Ltd. , a British company for leather production and processing of Ashford in the county of Kent , which as automotive suppliers made a name for brands in the top price segment.
The company grew out of a London shoemaker's shop specializing in quick repairs. In 1878, John Joseph and Samuel Frederick Connolly realigned their business and subsequently mainly produced leather for the interiors of carriages, also supplying the royal court. Among other things, the company played a role in the coronation of Edward VII in 1902 as the saddler of the coronation carriage.
In its heyday, the company supplied almost all premium brands in the British automotive industry, such as Aston Martin Lagonda , Rolls-Royce , Bentley , Jaguar and Rover . Foreign manufacturers also used Connolly leather, for example Maserati , Ferrari and Lincoln . Until the end of production, Connolly leather was considered one of the most valuable interior materials of all.
In addition to the later main plants in Ashford and Northampton , the company founded further plants abroad in the 1990s. A collaboration with US companies failed due to a lack of awareness.
In 1998, the British fashion designer , retailer and founder of the fashion label Joseph , Joseph Ettedgui , acquired the Connolly Luxury Goods brand . Ettedgui's wife Isabel was chief designer at Connolly and had already initiated the expansion of the Connolly range in the early 1990s. Under Ettedgui's management, a flagship store designed by Andrée Putman opened in London's Conduit Street, which still exists today. Connolly London sells leather accessories , clothing , bags and luggage in the upper price segment.
The production of leather for automotive equipment was stopped in 2000 and in 2002 the company filed for bankruptcy . The last car built with Connolly leather is the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi; Connolly leather was used until the model was discontinued in 2005.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Culture Obituaries - Joseph Ettedgui , telegraph.co.uk, March 19, 2010
- ↑ Leather Dynasty Connolly Leather Ltd - The End of a Legend , autobild.de, October 14, 2002