Etro was founded in 1968 by Gerolamo "Gimmo" Etro as a textile company. The main stylistic design of Etro in the first ten years of activity was the paisley, with variations on the theme. The company is based in Milan in Via Spartaco, in a building renovated in 1977, which also contains the paisley textile art archive housed in the company library. Jacopo Etro, creative director, later recalled how since he was a child he had begun to consult the archive, spending a lot of time copying fabric designs and experimenting with his own creative style. After a trip to India from which he draws inspiration, Gerolamo Etro introduced in 1981 the paisley motif defined "whirling" by Elle Magazine and became synonymous with the maison in 1984. In 1985 he debuted the homewear collection. The fragrance collection was launched in 1989 and debuted in the Milan boutique in via Verri. Two recent fragrances are the Rajasthan perfume, inspired by the homonymous Indian region, and the Jacquard. The first Etro fashion show took place on the occasion of Milan Fashion Week in 1996. The company began advertising promotion on The New York Times from 1999, and since 2013 it has also been online, as well as in stores and boutiques. .