About the Loro Piana?
Fashion may be a second-tier concern for most tech titans, but even in this era of hoodies and joggers, tasteful apparel is still in demand. Kiton blazers, like the one worn by Palihapitiya (above), are a popular choice, as are the classic suede Lanvin sneakers favored by Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Cashmere
The fabric itself has a unique structure that makes it exceptionally soft, light and warm. The air trapped between the fibers acts as an insulator that keeps body heat from escaping and cold from penetrating. This is why Loro Piana cashmere garments are so comfortable and breathable, even in the midst of the coldest winters or hottest summers.
Loro Piana has a long history of sourcing and selling the world’s finest raw materials. In fact, the company is considered the single largest cashmere buyer in the world, a status that earned them an international reputation as a supplier of the highest-quality cashmere. They have also been instrumental in the development of new materials and innovative finishes. These include a wool called Tasmanian, which takes its name from the island of Tasmania and is produced using only the finest merino wools in the world; vicuna, a rare and exquisite fur that is extraordinarily light and silky; and a range of plant fibres including cotton, linen, and hemp, whose properties make them crease-resistant and incredibly durable.
The company has also pioneered the use of high-performance finishing techniques that make their fabrics more abrasion-resistant and resistant to moisture. Their White Sole footwear is a perfect example, crafted from supple suede calfskin that is treated with a water-repellent finish. These shoes were originally designed for sailing, allowing wearers to walk comfortably on decks that might be damp or covered in salty seaweed.
As of late, Loro Piana has become a favorite amongst the tech set, particularly in Silicon Valley. The region’s fashion tastes are evolving from dorm-room startup chic to pricier apparel more befitting the current landscape of post-IPO millionaires and billionaires. As a result, Loro Piana has seen an unprecedented increase in sales, reaching more than EUR1 billion annually under Fabio d’Angelantonio’s leadership.
Loro Piana’s success with the tech industry is largely thanks to the company’s focus on developing luxurious lifestyle products rather than clothing alone. Throughout the years, Loro Piana has become a household name in the luxury space as a brand that provides an escape into a decadently luxurious lifestyle, offering not just clothing but accessories and even homes as well.
CashFur
The story of Loro Piana is one of restless exploration. For example, Pier-Luigi discovered that the underhair of baby hircus goats (which shears every other year) is finer than adult cashmere, making it ideal for lightweight, four-season clothing. He then helped revive vicuna, working with the Peruvian government to bring in fences, breeding expertise, and ways of harvesting – without killing – that kept the population healthy and protected. Today, the company is one of few to offer vicuna in its collections and it continues to work with herdsmen to preserve a healthy supply of the rare animal.
This same spirit of exploration has made it possible for Loro Piana to produce a special fabric that takes on the shape of the body while still allowing for movement, a feat that requires a complex process and specialized machinery. Down the road in Sillavengo, cones of cashmere are trucked into a small, one-story building where around a dozen knitting machines turn it into sweaters. These sweaters, like all of their knitwear, are fully fashioned, meaning the back, front, and sleeves are knitted together before being shaped into the finished garments.
Wool
The family business started as wool merchants in 1814 and now operates out of Quarona, northern Italy, with nine production sites. It is a vertically integrated enterprise, controlling every step of production to ensure the quality it sets for itself. They started out importing finished garments, but by the 1980s, the firm’s textile innovations and commitment to excellence launched it into its current role as a fashion brand.
That newfound focus on high-end apparel was the brainchild of Franco Loro Piana’s sons, Sergio and Pier Luigi. They wanted to take the company?s extraordinary raw materials and make its own branded products. They were not alone in this ambition. It was a time when the global luxury sector was in its formative stages and companies like LVMH were launching their own bespoke divisions to offer high-end products to their retail partners.
Loro Piana was able to leverage its decades of expertise in developing the world?s best cashmere and wool fabrics to produce a wide range of tailored and ready-to-wear items. Its clothing is not only beautifully made, but it is also highly functional and durable. The company continues to innovate, with a new focus on the development of wool sneakers.
In a departure from the slick, overtly logoed shoes of other brands, Loro Piana’s footwear is understated and elegant, with soft suede uppers, rubber soles, and Blake stitching (although online commenters suggest that it might actually be cemented). The sneakers are available in a broad range of colors from pale “geyser grey” to dark “Caspian blue.”
The relaunch has also highlighted the company?s ability to source the most pristine raw materials, often bringing them to the public for the first time. Vicuna, for example, is a rare, ultra-soft and lustrous wool that comes from a species of llama in Peru. Its numbers were in decline and Loro Piana worked closely with the government to bring in fences, breeding expertise, and advice on how to harvest without killing the animals. The result was an exclusive contract for the company to purchase vicuna wool for 10 years.
Leather
Under Fabio d’Angelantonio, who took over the company in 2016, Loro Piana has pushed beyond fashion, into a lifestyle. The brand’s lustrous wool coats, leather bags and shoes are more than mere garments—they express a decadent way of life, he says. The new e-commerce site reflects this approach. The slick interface features a clean design and easy-to-use navigation, making it a snap to browse products and check out. It also offers same-day service and door-to-door delivery at no extra cost.
The website also allows customers to shop the same products on offer in its stores, including the brand’s coveted white-sole shoes. Designed originally for sailing, the Open Walk ankle boots and Summer Walk moccasins are functional shoes made from supple suede calfskin treated with a water-repellent finish. The distinguishing detail is their white sole, a giveaway of their nautical origins as they prevent the wearer from leaving marks on the wooden decks of sailing yachts.
Located in northern Italy, Loro Piana produces superlative textiles and luxury goods using the world’s finest, rarest raw materials. It’s vertically integrated, harvesting raw cashmere in Mongolia and funnelling it to its nine Italian mills where it’s woven and then turned into clothing. The company has a large research and development division, pursues philanthropic endeavors and maintains a wildlife preserve.
It is a family-run business that prides itself on its heritage, combining tradition and innovation. It is the first to source cashmere directly from Mongolia, was the exclusive purveyor of vicuna for a decade and introduced baby cashmere and lotus flower fiber. Its products are crafted in nine factories, with each factory focused on one product line.
Its sweaters, scarves and shirts are a favorite of Silicon Valley’s tech elite. They have replaced the pinstripes and dark suits once worn by the tech industry, with more muted options like Kiton blazers and Cucinelli’s “sportivo chic.” Sneakers are also a trend, but not in an athletic sense; they’re being worn for their comfort, paired with shirts and socks in wool and cotton, with a barefoot-yet-polished look. For the holy month of Ramadan, Loro Piana has launched its first phase in e-commerce in the region, exclusively for the UAE.
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