Wichy Hassen

Wichy Hassan was born in 1955 in Tripoli, Libya. As a result of insurrections in his hometown, he moved at age 11 to Rome with his parents and three brothers. During the 70’s he attended college in Milan and developed a passion for the arts. After receiving his diploma in languages, he began painting and started working as a sales person in various shops in Rome to earn a living, eventually becoming the manager.

It was then he decided to open a small store where people could buy trendy brands that were difficult to find anywhere else. The boutique was a success and in 1983 he decided to open a bigger store called “Energie,” a place for the art and culture of the early 80’s, where several artists worked with Hassan to create exhibitions and special store front windows.

Unhappy with the clothing selections available he decided to create his own small denim collection, inspired by Mexican and ethnic fabrics.

When Wichy first met Renato Rossi, a former engineer and entrepreneur, a partnership was formed. Renato soon had the opportunity to see Wichy’s first sketches and encouraged him to further develop his collection. With the marriage of Wichy’s creative spirit and Renato’s business savvy, Sixty was brought to life and experienced immediate success. Energie was born in 1989 and became the first of many labels under the Sixty Group. The partnership between Hassan and Rossi proved to be successful in the years to come.

Soon after Energie was introduced, Miss Sixty was born followed by several additional brands including Sixty, Murphy&Nye, Killah, RefrigiWear, Ayor, Dake 9, Decauville, Richlu, K-Blost and Waxy, all of which are under the Sixty Group umbrella.