Son of Mango founder arrested over father’s death in Spain

The son of Isak Andic, the founder of the fashion chain Mango, has been arrested in Spain in connection with his father’s death, which occurred nearly 18 months ago in the mountains near Barcelona.

Police in Catalonia confirmed that Jonathan Andic was detained by the regional force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, and is being questioned over the incident. A spokesperson for the Andic family also confirmed that he is under questioning.

Isak Andic, 71, died in December 2024 after apparently falling around 100 metres into a ravine while hiking in Montserrat with his son. At the time, his death prompted widespread tributes from politicians, journalists, and figures from the fashion industry.

Although the initial investigation treated the incident as an accident, developments later suggested a more complex scenario. According to reports by El País, police and judicial sources indicated last year that the case was being reconsidered as a possible homicide.

El País reported that investigators had found no direct or definitive evidence explaining the fall, but had “come across a series of clues which, when taken together, had led them to move away from the idea of a mere accident and toward the possibility of a homicide”.

La Vanguardia further reported that in September last year, the judge overseeing the case changed Jonathan Andic’s legal status from witness to possible suspect.

At the time, the Andic family issued a statement, saying: “The Andic family has not and will not comment on Isak Andic’s death in all these months.

“However, they wish to show their respect for the ongoing investigations and will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities, as they have done so far. They are also confident that this process will be concluded as soon as possible and that Jonathan Andic’s innocence will be proved.”

Isak Andic was born in Istanbul in 1953 to a Sephardic Jewish family and moved to Catalonia with his relatives in the late 1960s. He began his career selling T-shirts to fellow high school students before expanding into wholesale and street market retail.

In 1984, he opened the first Mango store, laying the foundation for what would become a global fashion brand. Reflecting on his vision, Mango’s global retail director, César de Vicente, told Agence France-Presse in March last year: “He saw that we needed colour, style,” adding that Andic later “realised that having the same name, having the same brand, in all the shops would make the concept much stronger”.

By Tamilla Hasanova