Revealed
October 17, 2024
New York is nothing with out its Italian craftsmanship. To wit, the bronze works at Rockefeller Heart; sculptures on the Bronx Zoo; Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customized Home and Washington Arch; the myriad of terrazzo and marble mosaic work; and the general public works comparable to bridges and subway tunnels are primarily attributable to an Italian artisanal workforce.
Giorgio Canali and Stefano Canali (proper) – Courtesy
New York model additionally owes lots to extremely crafted Italian tailoring. It is one of many causes Canali, led by CEO Stefano Canali, selected New York as a cease on its international celebration to have a good time 90 years of the model that was based by his grandfather Giovanni Canali in 1934.
Highlighting the model’s legacy is a particular exhibition and capsule assortment unveiled at Bryant Park’s Glass Home to share within the milestone with shoppers, press, and pals of the home, comparable to Rupert Good friend, Chris Meloni and Zachary Quinto. FashionNetwork.com spoke to Canali in regards to the household model he’s main into its future.
“We are not used to celebrating ourselves, but we want to share some of our history in photos and videos and showcase what the future holds for Canali. We want to show what we are and what is important to the brand; this is necessary to decipher the initiatives of a business. Our founding values are still a part of the strategy and collection,” mentioned the CEO.
A characteristic of the occasion was a collaboration with the Italian artwork college NABA, or Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, that yielded student-created sculptural installations constructed from Canali materials and a digital AI-generated video narrative titled ‘Canali Horizons: A Journey from Heritage to Tomorrow’.
From left to proper: Chris Meloni, Rupert Good friend and Zachary Quinto – Courtesy
The third-generation govt additional defined that the exhibit was a part of a model evolution to convey 360 levels of brand name consciousness, specializing in its ‘Inside Magnificence’ marketing campaign and the model’s Care undertaking, which defines its sustainability stance.
“This isn’t a marketing project, but it’s a statement by Canali that stretches back to our beginnings in the 1930s. We wanted to propose something sartorial that lasts, combining high quality with craftsmanship well before sustainability was a topic. What people wanted was value for money,” he continued.
Whereas kinds have modified over the a long time, the product is long-wearing. The manager recalled a latest story of a buyer exhibiting him a jacket from ten years in the past.
“The Canali man is interested in high quality and with a twist on style since we embrace the lifestyle approach, the service we offer, and appreciate that we are a trustworthy brand,” he famous.
Regardless of its penchant for pulling down historic buildings, New Yorkers admire long-lasting Made-in-Italy high quality. That is evidenced by the success of the latest Madison Avenue retailer relocation.
“We didn’t move that far physically, but there is a combination of factors besides the location: the new store concept [it’s rooted in Milanese design], the lifestyle collection brand direction, and marketing strategy that have helped us to have wonderful results. The company grew 10 percent and reached 207 million euros in 2023. The Americas region is growing double digits, and customer feedback here is encouraging,” Canali mentioned.
Celebrating Canali’s Ninetieth anniversary in New York – Courtesy
Canali doubles down on the assertion of the need of brick-and-mortar to stand up shut and private with Canali’s luxurious choices. Whereas the New York retailer has a VIP lounge and cocktail bar to entertain prospects in a snug area, the lately opened Milan Verri Canali flagship gives that and a non-public backyard.
“We believe these spaces and experiences are instrumental in elevating brand perception,” he mentioned.
Thus, he plans to search for extra alternatives to broaden model consciousness within the U.S. and Canada, whether or not in complete or different POS distribution comparable to shop-in-shop and extra Canali shops.
Celebrating in New York, the place the model first opened a retailer in 2009, was a obligatory cease for the Ninetieth-anniversary celebration that adopted the inaugural unveiling throughout Males’s Milan Style Week in June. It should additionally embrace stops in Beijing and Mumbai. Canali recalled an occasion that celebrated the milestone with its closest collaborators, suppliers, and colleagues, held within the coastal city of Cervia.
“This was extra special to celebrate with 800 people in our Italian community, and we were lucky that recent flooding didn’t affect the event,” he mentioned proudly.
He additionally beams that like one other 90-year-old Italian Giorgio Armani, who’s opening a behemoth of a residence, restaurant, and retailer just some blocks up the road.
Canali signed a partnership with the FC Inter Milan in July 2024 to be the official formal put on dresser for the crew and managers. Canali additionally joins manufacturers like Loro Piana, who sponsors FC Juventus, and Fendi with FC Roma.
Celebrating Canali’s Ninetieth anniversary in New York – Courtesy
After his father Eugenio, who handed in 2023, retired, Stefano Canali turned the model’s third CEO in a direct succession line, one thing he mentioned wasn’t deliberate.
“I became the general manager in 2008 and CEO in 2019. It’s a joke at the company that each time I come into a position, something bad happens,” he chuckled, referring to the worldwide monetary disaster and the pandemic. The aforementioned outcomes inform a distinct story.
It is also essential that the model stays unbiased, although he concedes there are execs and cons. On the upshot, the Canali’s proceed to chart their course, not beholden to shareholders and out of doors company predators, and are free to maintain financials throughout the firm. Throughout a time just like the pandemic, although, it may spell catastrophe not having exterior funding, however even that disaster was averted because of wholesome money reserves.
“In 2020, clients stopped paying the receivables, but we kept billing payables and guaranteed our employees’ salaries. Even with this significant liquidation of funds, we managed to overcome the pandemic,” he beamed.
With simply over 5 years on the job, the subsequent successor is not one thing he considerations himself with, however he assures it will not be his daughter who selected a profession in drugs.
“It’s a bit like the strategy of sticking to the DNA and heritage the brand is known for without standing still, an evolution and not a revolution,” he mentioned.
Similar to they’ve carried out for the previous 90 years.
