Little known to the general public, Luca Faloni is coming to France. This brand, founded in 2014 by the eponymous businessman based on a direct distribution model via its own network of outlets, focuses on a classic and timeless offering of top-of-the-range menswear 100% made in Italy. It is opening its first shop in France, in Paris, its tenth worldwide as it celebrates its tenth anniversary.
The shop, which opened at the end of July at number 10 Place de la Madeleine, will be inaugurated with a party on September 19. The space covers around 400 square metres on two levels. It was designed by the Turin-based PlaC Architects agency, combining classic and contemporary design with precious materials such as white Carrara marble, blue calcite and walnut. Mirrors are used throughout to create unexpected visual effects, while a brushed steel staircase links the two levels. Upstairs, a bar will serve aperitifs every weekend in the lounge areas, says the label.
The brand offers a total look for men, from ready-to-wear to accessories (scarves, accessories, leather travel bags, belts, etc.) in a style that is both elegant and casual. The brand is best known for its linen shirts, linen jersey polo shirts and cashmere knitwear, including its famous zipped cardigans. Prices start at €125 for a t-shirt, €215 for a silk and cotton polo shirt and €265 for a cotton and cashmere shirt. Cashmere cardigans range from €365 to €725, trousers from €160 for cotton to €235 for wool, a linen blazer from €725 and a bomber jacket from €1,750.
A graduate of Milan’s Bocconi economic university, Luca Faloni, who hails from Turin and studied at the London School of Economics and the Wharton School, began his career as a consultant at Bain&Co before branching out into fashion. Unable to find quality clothes at a reasonable price, Faloni, who lives abroad, decided to create his own brand, relying from the outset on made-in-Italy manufacturing and exclusively direct marketing. Without the overheads associated with wholesale distribution, the brand was able to keep its prices down, while positioning itself as a discreet, top-of-the-range luxury brand.
The entrepreneur emphasises the artisanal quality of his products. He sources his products from the most renowned Italian manufacturers. For example, “the cashmere and silk-cashmere come from Cariaggi, the brushed cotton from a historic factory in Veneto and the full-grain leather from Santa Croce, in Tuscany,” says the press release. Albini supplies the linen and cotton fabrics. The shirts are made in Lombardy, a region renowned for its expertise in the production of pieces with sleeves, while the leather goods are produced in Tuscany, according to the company, which employs around 100 people. For design, production and quality control, Luca Faloni has factories in Milan and Bergamo, in the north of the country.
Its administrative and financial headquarters are in London. “As regards the creation of departments for other areas of the company such as finance, marketing, etc., we have chosen to base these functions in London in order to attract international talent,” we are told.
Luca Faloni does not wish to disclose its sales figures. It is simply forecasting sales growth of 50% between 2022 and 2023. Online sales via its own e-commerce site remain the main distribution channel, alongside physical boutiques located “in strategic locations that allow us to cultivate close links with customers.” These include London, where it has three points of sale, Milan, New York, Miami, Munich, Stockholm, Zurich and now Paris.