Jesire can trace its history back to 1949. Fang Shao Chow, then an already successful
Shanghai cotton trader, left China and moved to Hong Kong. With the help of his brother
and four sons, he built a business that at the time of his death in 1991, had property,
manufacturing, retail and wholesale interests in more than 25 countries across three
continents of the world.
• Mid to late 1960's - The company expands into other linen fabrics and most significantly,
silk.
• 1973 - the company begins trading as Toppy and retails a variety of labels aimed
at customers in Europe, throughout Asia and in the United States.
• 1976 - Jesire is launched under the label Jessica and it continues to use this
name in Asia.
• 1996 - Jesire is brought to the United Kingdom and launched in London. The Autumn
saw further expansion and in total, nine concessions were opened in its first trading
year.
• 1997 - concessions open in London and Manchester, plus Jesire's first outlets in
Dublin and Berlin.
• 1998 - Jesire opens further concessions throughout the UK, plus the opening of
Jesire's second concession in Ireland.
• 1999 - the decision to re-launch the business in its own right was taken and Jesire
Europe was born.
• 2000 - Jesire launches its first stand alone store in Covent Garden followed by
the opening of a second stand alone store in the Mailbox in Birmingham, shortly followed
by a third in Broadgate, London.
• 2007 - Jesire now has over thirty stand alone stores and concessions throughout
the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East.
• 2008 - Boutique Collection launches in London Covent Garden flagship store, Hoopers
Department stores as well as in Brown Thomas Ireland.
