The Bridge (brand)

The Bridge is an Italian fashion/leather goods brand established in Florence in 1969. In 2016, it joined the Piquadro Group.

History
Originally called Il Ponte Pelletteria (The Leather Goods Bridge), the company was founded in 1969, at Scandicci, near Florence. The founders were five Florentine leather goods workers: Fiorenza Benvenuti, Fernando Biagioni, Roberto Boncinelli, Andrea Ferri, and Arturo Senserini.

The brand took the name The Bridge in 1975 and, in 1987, moved its manufacturing site to the industrial district of Scandicci.

In 2015, The Bridge took part in the international fair, Pitti Immagine Uomo for the first time, with a collection designed by creative director Eduardo Wongvalle. In October 2016, The Bridge opened its first mono-brand store in South Korea, and expanded its Asian retail interests with other stores. The same year, following an unfavourable period that led to layoffs,  The Bridge brand was acquired by Piquadro S.p.a.;  The acquisition took place in two stages: in December 2016, 80% of the share capital was purchased and in 2022, the remaining 20% was acquired.

At the end of 2022, The Bridge reported about sixty employees at the Scandicci site and twenty-five employees at mono-brand stores, with a distribution network of around 600 stores in Italy and 700 outlets around the world.