The Italian luxury menswear label’s CEO, Niccolo Ricci, in Vancouver recently, discusses the family business and the downtown Vancouver boutique. —Catherine Dunwoody
Your father, Stefano, started the business in Italy in 1972, and headquarters are still there, correct?
Yes, my father started with making silk ties, then silk shirts, and small leather goods. By 1992 we had a full line of luxury goods. Next year is our 50th anniversary so that’s a big year for us.
Downtown Vancouver has a beautiful boutique that opened in 2018; how many locations are there globally now?
There are approximately 70 locations around the world now.
You carry a complete line of menswear, formal, casual, accessories, fragrances, watches and more. Tell us about the brand’s other offerings.
We carry porcelain, silver, crystal, and furniture with some samples at the Vancouver location, but most items can be transferred from other stores. We have a team that offers interior design services for penthouses, apartments, and super yachts as well. It’s very exciting.
How much of your business is bespoke, made to measure?
About 20 per cent of our business is bespoke suits and shirts, and we do special projects like cuff links, customizing items—our team is good at making dreams come true.
Any new innovations?
About a year ago we launched a luxury tech collection for sailing, with a younger look in technical fabrics; it’s bringing a younger crowd into stores.
Do you carry any women’s clothing?
We do hand-printed silk scarves and cashmere scarves, and we also did two limited-edition handbags.
Now that restrictions have eased up during the pandemic, have you seen any shift at the Vancouver boutique?
B2C is good, but people want to touch fabrics when they shop, and sit and have a coffee or glass of Champagne. It’s nice we can do that now.
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