Aristos Constantinou
Aristos Constantinou (c. 1945 - 1 January 1985) was the founder, of the Ariella fashion label. Aristos Constantinou was a gifted designer whose remarkable talent shone at the heart of the British fashion revolution.[1] Aristos Constantinou opened his first Aristos boutique on Carnaby Street in 1966. Hence the label being ‘designed by Aristos’. In the 1970s, Punch Magazine described him as ‘the power of Carnaby Street’.[2] In 1971, he was joined by his brother Achilleas. They expanded from these premises into Duke Street, Oxford Street, Newburgh Street and more on Carnaby Street. They were so successful that they began to supply their clothes, wholesale, to large retailers. By 1974 their headquarters were in Marylebone, a showroom in Great Portland Street and nine retail shops including branches in Chicago and Lausanne, Switzerland. They eventually moved to larger headquarters in Wood Green, but the retail side of the business was being overtaken in importance by the wholesale operations. Aristos was murdered in the early hours of New Year's Day 1985 at his home in The Bishops Avenue, Hampstead, London, known as Billionaire's Row - probably the richest little street in the world.[3]
Life
Constantinou was born around 1945. The son of a Greek Cypriot master tailor, they emigrated to the UK in the early 1960s.[4]
He was the co-founder, with his brother Achilleas Constantinou, of the Ariella fashion label.[5]
Death
Constantinou was murdered in the early hours of New Year's Day 1985 at his home in The Bishops Avenue, Hampstead, London. He was shot several times after returning with his wife Elena from a New Year's party. He was aged 40. The death was reported initially to be the result of a burglary.[6] The account of the death given by Elena has since been challenged by other members of Constantinou's family.[4][7][8][9]
See also
References
- ↑ http://manhattanvintage.com/shop/aristos-floral-silk-chiffon-dress/
- ↑ http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/aristos/
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/apr/30/theobserver.observerbusiness5
- 1 2 "Why Elena the widow was prime suspect in the Silver Bullet case". The Daily Mail. London. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ↑ "Achilleas Constantinou, Chief Executive, Ariella Fashions". The Daily Telegraph. London. 11 October 2010.
- ↑ "Burglary theory after wealthy businessman is shot dead." Stewart Tendler, The Times, 2 January 1985, p. 3.
- ↑ Gillard, Michael (30 November 2008). "Family of murdered tycoon calls for his wife to be charged". The Independent. London.
- ↑ "Family of murdered tycoon calls for charges against widow". Ben Leach, The Telegraph, 30 November 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.standard.co.uk/news/brother-accuses-wife-of-silver-bullets-murder--22-years-later-7172169.html