Andrés Sardá

This Barcelona-born designer founded his swimwear and underwear and lingerie firm in 1962, although his family has been involved in fashion since the 19th century. His first task on joining the family business after completing his studies in textile engineering was to introduce the company's products onto the American market.

In 1962 Andrés Sardá set up his own firm, designing and producing swimwear and women's underwear and lingerie. Sardá is renowned for his use of new and innovative fabrics, and was the first designer to use elasticised fibres. His enthusiasm for innovation led him to create a collection under the brand name Risk, fuelled by the desire to come up with a range of underwear that is not only practical but that also appeals to women.

In 1980 he created the Andrés Sardá line with the purpose of presenting a line of luxury products, both in terms of the fabric quality and production and design. The collection featured a series of new concepts and innovative designs, fabrics and colours that had never been used before in underwear and lingerie collections.

Today, together with his daughter Nuria, he presents collections under three Even before Spain joined the European Union, the company was already present in many European countries and also on the highly competitive American and Asian markets. Today, together with his daughter Nuria, he presents collections under three brand names: Andrés Sardá, Risk and University.