Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/86796
It's easy to understand how the Loro Pianas come about their obsession with fine cloth; it's practically hot-wired into their DNA. of a publicly held company would ever permit—the brothers have used unconventional business wisdom and turned down numerous acquisition offers for their $697 million brand for the simple sake of doing things their way. "Our reward is that we are able to develop a totally new frontier in the quality of fine fabric, and the consumer can count on a brand that is not forced to compromise too much when looking for quality," explains Sergio. than a century later, in 1924, their great uncle Pietro founded the family textile business in Northern Italy's Corso Rolandi, which is still the site of its headquarters. After World War II it was their father, Franco Loro Piana, who recognized the potential to grow the company by exporting their Italian-made cloths throughout Europe, Japan and the United States. For their part, Sergio and Pigi have broadened the family brand far beyond L the reaches of fiber accumulation. In the late 1980s, the brothers expanded into men's and women's clothing and, 10 years later, introduced the first Loro Piana stores, of which there are now more than 135, including one at Bal Harbour, all of which account for nearly 70 percent of the sales of their signature brand ooking back at the company's history, it's easy to understand how the Loro Pianas come about their obsession with fine cloth; it's practically hot-wired into their DNA. Their great-great-grandfather, Giacomo Loro Piana, started out as a cloth merchant in the early 19th century, and more apparel worldwide. Simultaneously, they shrewdly aligned their name with the world of prestige sports such as equestrian show jumping, polo and international yacht racing as a means of connecting with consumers who, as Sergio says, "don't just play but actually live these lifestyles." Most important are the Loro Piana products that result from such sporting sponsorships. Sardinia. The Defender, developed more than 13 years ago, is still in the Loro Piana collection. Likewise, the brand's signature Horsey jacket, developed in 1992 for the Italian equestrian team to wear during the summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, is still among Loro Piana's top selling items. "Most of the items in our collection were born for a specific purpose before T 88 BAL HARBOUR being added to our line," Sergio confirms. Eschewing the of-the-moment design philosophy that drives so many designer brands, he notes that "many of the best sellers in our collection are now more than 10 years old." The reason for such product longevity, he says, is that, unlike clients who buy by brand, the Loro Piana customer is, quite simply, "more sensitive to quality and elegance than to the whims of fashion." BH ake, for instance, the development of the brand's hugely successful Defender jacket and vest, as well as its patented Storm System fabric technology, all the result of testing products on actual sailors, some of whom were involved in this summer's Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in