Moleskine

In the mid-nineties of the twentieth century, despite the current congestion in the paper products market, Maria Sebregondi, an employee of the Milan publishing house Modo & Modo, invited Francesco Francesi and Mario Baruzzi to issue the simplest writing pads - in black binding with beige paper. ^{[2] [3]} She learned about these notebooks from the ethnographic essays of Briton Bruce Chatwin's “ The Songlines ”: he constantly praised the black notebooks he had bought in Paris, hand-made by the French family company in Tours .

The first batch of black notebooks with a pocket format of 9 by 14 centimeters in 5000 pieces was released in 1997. ^[four]

Surprisingly, the product was in demand and the following year, Modo & Modo sold 30,000 notebooks in Europe. In 2000, revenue was $ 26 million. ^[5] In 2004, notebooks began to be sold in Japan, and later throughout Asia.

In 2005, the German company Leuchtturm , issuing albums for collecting stamps and coins, seeing the success of Moleskine, launched the production of similar notebooks Leuchtturm1917, similar in assortment and quality, but at a price half as much. ^[6] Modo & Modo realized that they did not have enough experience to develop a business in a competitive environment, and in August 2006 sold a 75% stake to Société Générale Capital Europe , a private investor, removing the brand from the assets of the publishing house (later closed), retaining management functions. Thanks to investments to expand production, by July 2012, products were delivered to 22,000 stores in 95 countries. Production was organized in the USA (2008), Asia (2011), France and Germany (2013). In March 2013, she entered an IPO on the Italian Stock Exchange , becoming a Joint Stock Company . In September 2016, the Belgian investment company D'Ieteren bought out a controlling stake and abolished the joint-stock company, removing the company from the stock exchange.

“Modo & Modo” initially brought the brand to the market as the heir to the bicentennial French manufactory in Tours, ^[7] although no contacts were established with French manufacturers. The Italians used legends that were not documented, that Sartre , Picasso , Van Gogh , Apollinaire , Matisse , Gertrude Stein and Hemingway used exactly the French notebooks sold in Paris.

The only writer who accurately used the notebooks of the manufactory was the traveler Bruce Chatwin . ^[8] After his death, 85 travel notebooks were on display at the Oxford Museum. ^[9] It was probably he who coined the spelling Moleskine, derived from the name of a cotton fabric with a terry finish . “ Moleskin, ” although he described notebook cover material as oilcloth . oilskin , ^{[10] [11]} . Modo & Modo registered the copyright for the word Moleskine in 1997. Bruce died in 1989, and the French factory closed in 1986. From the first day, Modo & Modo used its popular name to advertise notebooks that he did not use, because he had died eight years earlier. ^[12]

The largest segment of the company's products is made up of notebooks: non-lined, lined, in a cage, in peas, diaries, weeklies, address and phone books. Notebooks are made in China. ^[13]

There are formats for representatives of certain professions.

• The “Reporter” format has pages that flip up, which is necessary for writing on weight.
• A format for screenwriters, or graphic designers with page layouts.
• For artists, non-linear albums for drawing formats A3 and A4, as well as notebooks with watercolor paper, are issued.
• For musicians - notebooks with lined sheet music.
• The City notebook format includes maps, metro schemes, reference information and tracing paper on which you can mark the route selected on the map.

Differences:

"Modo & Modo" positioned many of the characteristics inherent in travel notebooks of the twentieth century, as unique:

• Inside pocket.
• Elastic.
• Fabric bookmark lass .
• Acid-free, moisture-resistant paper, en: Forest Stewardship Council .
• Hardcover even small formats.
• Rounded corners.
• The first page to record the name of the owner.
• Refusal to use polyvinyl chloride in the cover material.

In addition to notebooks, the company sells:

• Applications
• Leather bags and backpacks.
• Cases for mobile devices. ^[14]
• Books.
• Travel accessories.
• Writing Instruments.

Evernote together with Moleskine created an application for recording in the iOS operating system ^[15] . In this operating system, the design elements of the Moleskino notebooks are used in the Notes application. In 2016, the new application The Smart Writing Set with en: Livescribe was released - a notebook worth $ 00 automatically transfers what was written to a smartphone or computer. ^[16] The Timepage calendar app was released the same year.

The creative accessories created by Giulio Iacchetti were first presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2011.

In early 2018, brand cafes were opened in Milan , ^[17] Beijing , London , New York and Hamburg . ^[18]

The company regularly releases limited edition notebooks with cover illustrations on the release of a new film or cartoon characters such as Snoopy , Hello Kitty , Superman , Lord of the Rings , Sakura, The Woodstock Limited Edition, The Moleskine Museum, silk Van Gogh. "

• Official Moleskine Website
• Write and Exact an interview with Moleskine CEO
• Financial Reports - company Investors information