Acca Kappa  

Some of the best stuff on the planet originates in Italy, and that includes everything from great art, design, and architecture to food and of course, the people themselves. Some of the obvious all time greats on my list are the Mona Lisa, Pizza, the Leaning Tower of Pizza, Sophia Loren, Al Pacino, Chloe, Armani, and Vespa scooters. Then there's the great cultural traditions like taking a 2 hour nap in the middle of the workday, and having a couple of drinks with every meal. You've gotta love it.

But you also have the little gems that are not so well known in mainstream pop culture, but that are no less exceptional, like the architect Mario Botta. Not exactly an icon, but very talented. If you've been to Italy, and you like handsome men, you may be hip to the phenomenon of the Italian police force. Female friends who have seen it first hand tell me that one of the prerequisites for the job is being genetically superior to the rest of the human race.

And somewhere in the mix, you find Acca Kappa. That translates to "H. K." in English. In Italian, that stands for "H. Krull and Company." So who is this H. Krull and why do I care? Good question.

Arthur H. Krull started the company known as Acca Kappa, a manufacturer of personal care items like soaps, perfumes, colognes, and shaving accessories. When it first started back in 1869, it's only product was that of hair brushes. That was back when just about all brushes on the market were made from hardwoods and boar's hair or natural bristle. Acca Kappa still makes them that way, over a hundred years later. Anyway, since then, they have become one of Italy's most well known manufacturers of personal care products, bath and body, fragrances, and shaving products.

I know, this may not sound all that exciting. Quite frankly, I never imagined I would care much about personal care products before a couple of years ago. And don't get me wrong; I've always liked putting on the latest trendy cologne, or using something besides a 99-cent can of Barbasol to shave with. After all, I may be a guy, but I do have some taste (and sensitive skin.)

Anyway, one fateful day a couple of years ago, my wife and I were spending a weekend in Las Vegas, at the Venetian. We went on a shopping excursion under the faux Venetian sky in the hotel's retail mall, and happened to stroll into the Acca Kappa boutique. (From that point forward, everything changed. But I will get to that part later.)

This small boutique had a stylish "ambience" about it, and there was another quality that you couldn't help notice - the place smelled great. We found vegetable based soaps made from things like avocado, pear, a mysterious plant called white moss, another one called calycanthus, and of course - olive (we are talking about Italy here right?)

There were perfumes and colognes, bath and shower gels, candles, and brushes. One of the most significant aspects of this line, we later found out, is the fact that the products are made from all natural ingredients, with an ecologically conscious approach to manufacturing (i.e. this stuff is good for you, your skin, and the environment.) But there was yet another obvious quality: how cool everything looked and felt.

The packaging was great, and when you picked up a product, you could "feel" the craftsmanship in your hand. The boutique's interior décor was clean and contemporary. The dark colored hardwood brushes looked as much like home accents as they did personal care objects. Again, I never saw it coming, but within a few minutes, I had become a big fan of Italian...toiletries. Basically, this just reinforced something I already believed: Italians can make anything look and feel appealing.

Back to that remark about how "everything changed." What I didn't mention before is that for quite a while before we took that trip, my wife and I had been kicking around the notion of starting a business of our own. We had a few ideas, including importing products from India (where she hails from) or Italy (I'm Italian-American.) We hadn't decided on what market to focus on yet, but "bath and body" was on the list of possibilities. As fate would have it, by the time we walked out of that boutique, a picture of our future was beginning to emerge.

Shortly thereafter, we founded a retail boutique enterprise built on the concept of fine Italian personal care products and accessories. And not surprisingly, the brand that became our flagship line, and is still our personal favorite, was none other than Acca Kappa. Since then, we have expanded into the area of wholesale distribution with another unique and well put together line of fragrances and men's skin care products from Italy. But I digress.

The moral of the story is that Acca Kappa definitely deserves its place in history right up there next to Sophia Loren and Pizza. Okay, that would be pushing it a little. Still, I think it's fair to say the company has made its mark in the world of great Italian creations. And that is impressive, considering that when he started this legacy in Treviso, Italy back in 1869, Mr. Krull himself was little more than an immigrant fresh off the boat...from Austria.

About the Author

Douglas is cofounder of of Fiore di Italia, which features the finest in Italian natural skin care product lines and bath & body products by Acca Kappa, la ragazza di firenze, Santa Maria Novella, Valobra, and more. Visit Fiore online to learn more about Acca Kappa