FLORENCE — Thank goodness for America.
That seemed to be the mantra at the Pitti Immagine Uomo trade show this week, as brands discussed their rush to tap into the buoyant U.S. market, which is becoming the focus for many luxury labels as the European and Japanese economies remain in the doldrums and China’s growth slows.
In the first nine months of 2014, exports of Italian men’s wear to the U.S. jumped 7.8 percent to 415 million euros, or $562.9 million at average exchange rate, for the period. The U.S. is now the third most important market for Italian men’s wear, following France and Switzerland.
No wonder many Italian companies were looking to woo U.S. clients at the fair, or are taking the leap across the pond for the first time — among them, men’s trouser specialist Jeckerson, which recently set up a subsidiary in New York.
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“We think that we can target about 100 doors in the U.S. and we plan to get into between 30 and 50 of them within three seasons,” said the brand’s chief executive officer Gian Maria Argentini, adding that some styles will be specifically designed for American customers.
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He said the label aims to generate about 5 million euros, or about $6.3 million at current exchange rate, with its U.S. wholesale business by 2020.
Italy’s deputy minister for economic development Carlo Calenda has also vowed to help local companies boost their business in North America.
In contrast, Japanese retailers are said to be struggling with a less optimistic business outlook. “It’s been a tough season for us,” conceded Hirofumi Kurino, general manager and chief creative director of United Arrows, citing a slump in sales of between 5 and 10 percent over the winter.
“People say it’s because of the consumer tax and unfavorable weather, but I think the mentality of the Japanese customer is changing, and Europe is soon to follow suit.
The market has expanded, but it’s not real expansion. There are too many brands that offer meaningless product. About three months ago, people just stopped buying — it was like a big bang,” he said, adding that he was going after high-end, artisanal brands such as Ermanno Gallamini and his reversible, hand-knitted ponchos, to offset the negative trend. “Only items with a character will always do well,” he argued.
Retailers generally agreed that niche categories represent the new growth areas — and found plenty of them on offer at Pitt.
Tom Kalenderian, executive vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s wear at Barneys New York, welcomed the fall-winter edition’s offer as “not only relevant for the men’s business today, but a source of inspiration,” he said. He pointed to new opportunities for growth coming from jewelry and soft accessories as well as small leather goods and luggage.
Case in point: New York-based jewelry brand Zadeh, which, over the course of 2014, witnessed its steepest growth in sales ever. “We tripled online and grew 250 percent overall, with bracelets accounting for 75 percent of our business,” explained founder and designer Catherine Zadeh.
Dexter Peart, cofounder of Want Les Essentiels de la Vie, one of the buzziest accessories labels of the show, said the brand has profited from the new art of travel and expects to double sales in 2015, pointing to gloves as an underdeveloped category that doubled at the label in 2014.
Eric Jennings, vice president and men’s fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, said he was particularly pleased with the knitwear offering, also on outerwear items. “The sweater top coat in washed or unconstructed wool is a must,” he said, naming bottoms as another best-selling category — be it slim chinos, joggers or motor-pants — and singling out green as the hue of the season.
G-Star Raw
Key styles: Best known for its high-end selvage and 3-D styles such as the G-Star Elwood, the Dutch denim maker has put a focus on the fit-for-all look this season.
Design/Inspiration: With the introduction of Slander Denim, the company is venturing deeper into the next generation of stretch based on a combination of fused fibers and with special attention to washing. The result is a rugged, worn-out look with a soft feel, as seen on a classic Elwood with novel biker zippers on the knees.
Prices: The Elwood retails for around $188.
Zadeh
Designer: Catherine Zadeh
Key styles: Zadeh’s handmanufactured bracelets made in New York have become as indispensable to a man’s wardrobe as a pair of well-polished derbies. Done in silver, sustainable buffalo horn or waterproof parachute cord, the pieces blend into every situation.
Design/Inspiration: The idea is to mix and match various styles, which are as subtle as they are elegant. Key pieces include a colorful macramé weave next to a distressed silver bracelet or buffalo horn cuff with rose and white gold inserts, where each strand is carved by hand and, with time, assumes a unique patina.
Prices: Pieces retail from $320 to $4,700.
Fusalp
Key styles: This skiwear specialist, acquired by members of the Lacoste family in 2014, is branching out into aprèsski with its first full-fledged outerwear collection.
Design/Inspiration: Blending functionality with fashion, Fusalp’s outerwear uses luxury fabrics with high-performance characteristics. Examples include a jacket in Korean nylon boasting the highest possible waterproof attributes and breathability. There is also an Italian wool parka with a rabbit-lined hoodie and soft shell around the elbows.
Prices: PA nylon-down biker jacket retails for $930, a parka goes for $1,666.
Ghurka
Key styles: A gentleman’s favorite, Ghurka is on a mission to conquer the globe-trotting male with an assortment of travel leather goods that don’t wrinkle the clothing. Case in point: the brand’s best-selling Kilburn duffel in vintage chestnut. Its mantra: Return to traditionalism without being dowdy.
Designer/Inspiration: Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Ghurka has reintroduced the company’s signature Derby check with a special coating that makes the bags water- and stain-repellent.
Prices: The new duffel in chestnut leather with solid brass hardware is called Cavalier II and retails for $1,761.
Eleventy
Key styles: Eleventy conjured a sporty-chic look for fall. Pants with relaxed silhouettes, one of the season’s biggest trends, were paired with blazers worked in stretch fabrics for a comfortable fit. The lineup also included tailored coats in cashmere and wool, as well as more sporty options, such as bombers and padded jackets.
Designer/Inspiration: Established in 2006 by Marco Baldassari, Paul Zuntini and Andrea Scuderi, Eleventy is focused on offering high-quality men’s wear at affordable prices. The brand’s collections, which are produced in Italy, range from tailoring pieces updated with a young, contemporary feel, to more sporty and casual options. Eleventy is debuting in the U.S. market with the fall/winter collection presented at Pitti Uomo.
Prices: Blazers retail from $595 to $645, while suits prices are $995 to $1,695.
Etnia Barcelona
Key styles: Inspired by the African savanna, round, square and slightly cat-eye frames were worked in ecological acetate reproducing wood, horn and animal patterns, including zebra stripes and giraffe spots. The brand also presented a round style with a vintage feel, in gold or platinum pleated aluminum, which will be exclusively available at Intermix.
Designer/Inspiration: Launched in Spain in 2003, the label offers eyewear collections focused on somewhat classic shapes worked in bright colors and patterns. The frames are also matched with mineral lenses produced by Italian specialist Barberini.
Prices: The Africa-inspired sunglasses retail between $265 and $299, while the gold and platinum pleated styles are $345.
Vittorio Branchizio
Designer: Vittorio Branchizio
Key styles: The Italian knitwear brand mixes cutting-edge technology with avant-garde styles. Founded in 2014, the company’s signature is hand-printed geometric shapes and 3-D jacquards on cashmere and silk sweaters as well as outerwear hybrids.
Design/Inspiration: For winter, a novel knitting machine made in Japan has allowed Branchizio to produce multicolored knits made of two layers that look as if they were quilted.
Prices: At wholesale, prices range between $173 for an intarsia cashmere sweater to $259 for a biker-inspired jacket.
Brunello Cucinelli
Key Styles: Soft tailored suits featuring pleated carrot pants were shown with T-shirts and relaxed sweaters. Cucinelli also matched sporty jogging jersey trousers and cargos with elegant blazers for a sporty-chic mood. Outerwear included power coats that were cut longer than in previous seasons — such as a handmade style in a luxurious double cashmere fabric — as well as relaxed knit jackets, leather vests and blousons with shearling collars.
Designer/Inspiration: Casual and sartorial found a balance in Cucinelli’s collection, which offered a sophisticated yet relaxed take on classic tailoring. The lineup’s elegant spirit was exalted by the subdued color palette, where classic men’s hues, including dark gray and brown, were paired with soft shades of vanilla, beige and almond.
Prices: Not yet priced.
Massimo Alba
Key styles: Cashmere sweaters, hand painted with watercolors, were treated to achieve a slightly crispy texture and a used look. Worked in a color palette that ranged from neutrals to vivid hues of green, purple and saffron, knitwear also included precious sweaters in alpaca and yak wool, which were paired with cotton and cashmere shirts and relaxed wide-wale corduroy pants. The offering was completed by top coats, including a style in Florentine-classic Casentino wool.
Designer/Inspiration: “Nature is always my source of inspiration,” said Massimo Alba, referring to the organic feel that always runs through his brand’s collections. Known for its chic, subdued elegance, the label focuses on luxury fabrics worked to obtain unexpected hands and dyed with natural colors.
Prices: Cashmere sweaters retail from $795 to $1,195, while outerwear prices range from $1,495 to $2,495.
Sutor Mantellassi
Key styles: The luxury footwear label launched a special shoe project celebrating the 50th anniversary of the night when Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni left his handprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mastroianni was wearing a pair of Sutor Mantellassi shoes then, so the company asked five personalities from the design and fashion worlds to reinterpret the style. This week, the brand unveiled the project’s first style, called M.M.1, designed by Justin Deakin, who matched crocodile and leather for a double-monk strap shoe, which will be produced in a limited number of 50 pieces.
Designer/Inspiration: Known for its luxury, classic shoes completely manufactured in Italy, Sutor Mantellassi is working to update its image by introducing more casual and sporty styles. These include a new line of upscale sneakers, featuring no stitches and a rubber sole with a calf leather heel inspired by formal shoes. The brand is also expanding its offering of leather goods, including belts and precious, yet practical briefcases.
Prices: While the M.M.1 shoe will retail at about $1,056, the main collection’s formal and sporty styles are sold at about $938 to $584 respectively.