Beppe Angiolini, the influential Italian fashion buyer and founder of the Sugar multi-brand store, has died at age 73.

Beppe Angiolini, the Italian buyer known for founding the Sugar multi-brand concept store, died on Saturday at his home in Arezzo, Italy. He was 73 and had been battling an illness for some time. Angiolini was a prominent figure in the international fashion industry, recognized for his discerning eye and unconventional approach to retail.

Career and Retail Legacy

Born in 1952, Angiolini began his fashion career in his early twenties, opening a small store on Arezzo’s Corso Italia in 1978. This shop eventually evolved into Sugar, an internationally renowned concept store. In 2018, the business relocated to the 18th-century Palazzo Lambardi in Arezzo, a 13,000-square-foot space that combined fashion with art, books, and music. Angiolini later expanded his retail footprint to include the Sugar Rooms boutique hotel and the No Sugar Please bar.

Industry Leadership and Tributes

Angiolini served as president of Camera Buyer Italia from 2008 to 2014 and as its honorary president from 2014 to 2018. He also held consultancy roles for various organizations, including the jewelry trade show Oro Arezzo. Industry leaders, including Maura Basili of Camera Buyer Italia and Carlo Capasa of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, praised Angiolini for his vision, his ability to identify emerging talent, and his dedication to championing Italian creativity.