Isak Andic’s children Jonathan, Judith and Sarah paid tribute to their father a year after his death in Montserrat. The founder of Mango died on December 14, 2024 while walking with his son Jonathan on a path that led to the temple. Los Mossos is leading an open investigation into a possible homicide, with his son as a suspect. In the letter, the hereditary abandons the role of the businessman, which he defines as an “affectionate” priest, and at no time do they mention the police investigations that he maintains in the family.
“This week it has been a year since Isak left us and, like his own children, we wish to honor his memory by sharing words in his memory. When we speak of Isak Andic, we speak not only of an exceptional businessman, but of a generous and committed man in society”, underline the three sons of the businessman in a letter to which he wrote access Europa Press, and in which they believe that he also paid tribute at the central headquarters of Mango, in Palau-solita i Plégamans.
“I left Barcelona as a young man with enormous talents and a determination that later surprised me. With time, this success took shape and gave birth to a company that would become one of the great economic engines of the country and the fashion sector. Mango was born with the aim of making fashion accessible to everyone and this spirit is still alive in every store, every team and every project that is part of the company today”, Subrayan.
His three sons also point out that Isak Andic’s impact transcended the business world, as he “raised the name of Barcelona and projected it across the world with contagious pride.” “For him, the city and its Mediterranean spirit were not just a point on the map, but a source of inspiration: a way of understanding creativity and design,” the message adds. Thanks to his dynamism, his children explain, Mango has become a “bridge” between Barcelona and the great capitals of the world, from Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona to Oxford Street in London, Fifth Avenue in New York, Haussmann in Paris or the Galería Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, “bringing the name of the city that welcomed him to practically every corner of the planet”.
“Isak was a tireless worker. Solía decided that he would not rest until ‘empty the suitcasean analogy with his constant effort since his beginnings as a salesman. Your vision has always been clear: to bring Mango to major cities around the world,” Subrayan.
Today, the company has approximately 3,000 stores spread over more than 850,000 square meters, a presence in more than 120 markets and more than 17,000 people. “Isak began building a global network of millions of customers, collaborators (our father liked to call as well as all Mango employees), suppliers and franchisees, with those who sought to maintain a close connection, without importing their list,” the three children said in the letter.
For the founder of Mango, the most important thing was to work with good professionals who were also great people, according to Jonathan, Judith and Sarah, for those who lived in the world of fashion, his father was “an advanced visionary of his time”, who “broke the molds, opened paths and dared to experiment from the very beginning”. In this sense, Subrayan, who was the first to launch “online” sales, promoted international expansion through franchises and invited iconic models of the 90s like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss to Mango campaigns, as well as other recognizable faces from the world of cinema and sport.
“His broad and curious gaze contributed to democratizing fashion and consolidating Mango as a global reference brand”, according to Andic’s sons, who also point out that his father’s work and contribution to society were recognized with numerous awards, including the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia (posthumously), and the Prize of the Kingdom of Spain for the Baccalaureate of Business, the French decoration Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor, the Creu de Sant Jordi or the Clau de Barcelona. “But those who know him know that their greatest achievements are not lost in the awards, but in the opportunities they generated and in the lives they transformed. We cannot speak of Isak without remembering his immense generosity, in silence,” he adds in the letter, in which he recalls that his commitment to educational, cultural and social projects has been constant, such as his support for the Sant Joan de Déu hospital in Barcelona, a world reference in pediatrics, or to Fundación FERO in its oncological research, particularly in breast cancer, under its slogan “A future without cancer”.
Además, participated in the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, was patron of the Fundación Princesa de Asturias, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Fundación Elena Barraquer and the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Fundación MACBA), among other institutions. His ties with several educational entities, such as the IESE Business School, reflected his desire to give back to society what he had received. For him, success only had meaning when it was shared and contributed to improving the lives of others,” he emphasizes.
On the other hand, the three sons of Mango’s founder emphasize that for them and their family, their greatest legacy is personal. “Isak was a close and affectionate priest, a serene, attentive and wise man. He was someone who really listened, who celebrated the triumphs of today and who always found time to accompany those he loved, no matter how demanding their journey. With the same humility with which he sold clothes in the markets when I was a teenager, I always keep my feet on the ground and have a warm look for others,” he emphasizes.
The letter ends by saying that his memory continues to live today in the business he built or in the recognition he received, in the values he passed on to his children: “determination, creativity and discreet generosity. His legacy inspires the future of our family and his work in business,” he concludes with his children.
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