MILAN — Pierre-Louis Mascia is celebrating his namesake brand’s 15-year partnership with manufacturer Achille Pinto with an installation and event on Jan. 11 at Palazzo Antinori during Pitti Uomo.
Mascia is returning to the international menswear trade show following the launch of a capsule during the June edition last year. Called “Vizir,” it was inspired by the world of sports and Mascia partnered with Diadora for an exclusive version of sneakers. The capsule will be available to the public beginning this month.
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“It’s very important to be a part of Pitti Uomo, it’s the first appointment of the season, and you can understand what the trends will be and what brands and entrepreneurs are working on,” he said.
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The concept of the installation is “Filocalia,” which in Greek means “love of beauty in a spiritual way,” explained Mascia. “It’s the interior beauty, as the world is a bit crazy and we fight with beauty as our weapon.”
Through the installation, Mascia, who started his career as an illustrator, wishes to present not only his collection but also to provide insight into his creative process.
He enthused about the grand 15th-century Palazzo Antinori. “The installation will be on the main floor, which is rarely seen or used, but it will be opened to the public for me on this occasion,” he said proudly. “It will be interesting to juxtapose my collection with this storied location.”
The installation will be enriched through the use of music, visual stimuli and specific fragrances. Although he kept most details under wraps, Mascia said the collection “will focus on our work with Achille Pinto over the past 15 years. We’ve grown together over these years.”
Inspirations will range from Egyptian or Byzantine themes, as well as Art Deco, also enriched by floral motifs and will pay tribute to Achille Pinto archival prints. Shapes will be “generous and very rich but not extravagant, with different volumes and layers.”
The Toulouse, France-born Mascia launched his namesake collection in 2008 with the collaboration of the Uliassi siblings, owners of the storied silk printer Achille Pinto in Como, Italy. He first launched a series of scarves, then expanded into apparel and accessories. He is known for his signature patchworks that mix patterns and images and are printed by Achille Pinto.
In May 2022, Mascia inaugurated his first boutique, located in Milan’s central Via Pietro Verri. Around the end of March, the brand’s second Italian store will open, in Portofino, Italy. “Placed in the resort town’s main square, it will boost our visibility and reflect the Italian savoir vivre,” said Mascia, who is also seeking a strategic location in Paris, where the opening of a store is expected in the second half of 2023.
The brand is available at around 400 boutiques and department stores globally, including L’Eclaireur and Le Bon Marché in Paris; Banner and Biffi in Milan; Joseph Tricot in London, and Figaro in Tokyo.
The company is planning to invest in the English market with a new showroom.
Europe is Mascia’s main market, “although Asia, followed by the U.S., performed very well in the past year,” said the designer, who produces everything in Italy.
The company reported sales of 7 million euros in 2022, up 50 percent compared with 2021.
Sales of parent company Achille Pinto totaled 110 million euros, up 15 percent on 2021. Helmed by siblings Matteo, Paolo and Lisa Uliassi, the company produces fabrics and textile accessories for some of the most established international brands.
In September, during women’s fashion week in Milan, Mascia presented a special installation at Casa Cabana in collaboration with three artists: French photographer Julien Drach; French designer Marie Christophe, and ceramist artisan Catherine Blanc.
In October 2021, Mascia partnered with the Palais Galliera fashion museum on a capsule collection of luxurious silk pajamas, velvet robes and twill scarves featuring patterns lifted from 18th-century garments.
