Catalan law enforcement officials have taken 43-year-old Jonathan Andic, son of deceased Mango founder Isak Andic, into custody as part of a reinvestigation into the 2024 death of the global fashion industry icon. The detainment, which took place at Andic’s residence shortly after 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday, marks a major new development in a case that was originally ruled an accidental death before being reopened amid inconsistencies in testimony.
Isak Andic, a 71-year-old Turkish-born business magnate who built Mango into one of the world’s largest fast fashion chains, lost his life in December 2024 after falling into a ravine during a hiking trip in the Montserrat mountain range outside Barcelona. Conflicting public reports have emerged over the years about who was present during the outing, with initial accounts placing only Isak and Jonathan together on the trail, while other claims note additional family members were in the area.
Shortly after the incident, Catalan investigators closed the case in early 2025, concluding their initial review found no evidence of criminal conduct connected to Isak’s death. But per reporting from Spanish daily newspaper La Vanguardia, authorities made the decision to reopen the probe later that year after identifying unresolved discrepancies in statements Jonathan Andic provided to investigators.
Jonathan Andic, who joined the Mango executive team in 2005, went on to lead the brand’s popular Mango Men menswear line before ascending to the position of vice-chairman of the company’s board of directors following his father’s death. He has repeatedly maintained that he bears no responsibility for the tycoon’s death. A representative for the Andic family confirmed to Reuters that Jonathan was undergoing formal police questioning following his detainment, and emphasized the family holds unwavering confidence that he will be cleared of any wrongdoing. Following his questioning, local reports indicate Andic was scheduled to appear before a judge in a Catalan court later the same day.
Isak Andic co-founded Mango in 1984 alongside his brother Nahman, launching the brand from its first Barcelona storefront into a global retail powerhouse. Today, the fashion chain operates nearly 3,000 retail locations across 120 countries around the world. At the time of his passing, Forbes calculated Isak Andic’s personal net worth at approximately $4.5 billion (equal to around £3.6 billion).
Following Isak’s death in 2024, Mango Chief Executive Officer Toni Ruiz released a statement honoring the brand’s founder, noting that his passing would leave an enormous gap across the company. “All of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements,” Ruiz said at the time. “It is up to us, and this is the best tribute we can make to Isak and which we will fulfil, to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak aspired to and of which he would feel proud.”