Liu Jo

Liu Jo (stylised LIU•JO) is an Italian fashion company founded in 1995 by brothers Marco and Vannis Marchi in Carpi, in the province of Modena [5]. What began as a small textile operation in the Carpi manufacturing district grew over the following decades into a major Italian ready-to-wear label spanning clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, watches and jewellery. The brand is still owned by the Marchi family, with Marco Marchi serving as vice-president and owner.

Within the beauty market, Liu Jo is present chiefly through fragrance, produced and distributed under a long-standing licensing arrangement with the Italian fragrance company Perfume Holding [6]. The company remains active, with its newest scents and fashion campaigns continuing into the mid-2020s.

The name Liu Jo derives from childhood nicknames: "Jo" was used by Marco Marchi, and "Liu" by one of his youth companions. The label was established in 1995 in Carpi, a town the company describes as a renowned manufacturing hub in the Modena area. From an apparel base, Liu Jo expanded quickly across the 2000s, adding accessories, a baby collection, underwear, beachwear and homewear lines within its first years, and introducing a shoes collection in 2008.

Several moments shaped the brand's growth. In 2008 it launched the "Bottom Up" jeans campaign, which became one of its better-known product stories. In 2011, model Kate Moss became a brand ambassador, and later campaigns featured figures such as Karlie Kloss. The company opened a flagship store in Milan in 2012 and signed an eyewear licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear in 2013.

The brand's move into beauty came the same year. In October 2013, Liu Jo signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Perfume Holding covering the creation, development and distribution of fragrances under the Liu Jo name [6][9]. The first scent, Liu Jo Eau de Parfum, followed in May 2014. In 2019, the company expanded by acquiring the Blufin fashion house, bringing the Blu Girl and Miss Blumarine labels into its portfolio [5].

Liu Jo is a privately held Italian company that has remained under the control of its founding Marchi family. Marco Marchi is identified as vice-president and owner. Its fragrance line operates under licence rather than in-house: Perfume Holding holds the worldwide rights to create and distribute Liu Jo scents, an arrangement that makes the fragrance house the production partner rather than a parent of the fashion business. The 2019 purchase of Blufin remains the company's notable acquisition within fashion [5].

According to the company, Liu Jo "stands for freedom and expression" and addresses "free, eclectic souls who live life to the full." Its stated purpose is to help women find their own personal style so they can be who they want to be. The brand frames its identity around seduction, bold sophistication and elegance, paired with attention to detail and quality materials. The fragrance range is positioned in similar terms, with marketing copy describing scents meant to give voice to each woman's personality and style.

Liu Jo's beauty presence centres on fragrance and body care, sold through a dedicated beauty vertical alongside the main fashion label. The first fragrance, Liu Jo Eau de Parfum, arrived in 2014 [8]. Later additions include the Liu Jo Lovers line, with paired scents for women and men, and the Silkway and Silkway Wow ranges. A body care collection of scented products has also been offered under the Liu Jo Beauty banner. As a fashion house, the company distributes broadly: as of 2022 it operated around 160 stores in Italy and roughly 200 more, primarily across Europe [5].

Liu Jo's entry into fragrance drew trade-press coverage in 2013. Cosmetics Business and FashionNetwork both reported the Perfume Holding agreement, with Perfume Holding chief executive Enrico Ceccato stating that the company believed "Liu Jo has a tremendous potential of becoming soon a global beauty brand" [6]. The label reported revenue of 368 million euros in 2018 [5].

The company runs an environmental and social programme it calls #BetterTogether, introduced in 2019 and described as a commitment to engage suppliers and customers in reducing the impact of its production chain [4]. The initiative is largely apparel-focused and includes a Code of Ethics, SA8000 social-accountability compliance, an ESG governance framework, and a "Recycle Your Denim" scheme aimed at circular fashion. The brand states that it seeks to reduce the environmental and social impact of production while maintaining its style, though it publishes no specific quantified targets in the material reviewed.

Liu Jo is an active, multi-region Italian fashion house. It maintains a wide retail footprint and an ongoing licensed fragrance line, with new scents in the Silkway range continuing into the mid-2020s and fashion campaigns ongoing.