Mandelli opens Atelier in New York as brand looks to expand in US – WWD

Mandelli has a long history in Italian luxury manufacturing, but the brand has flown under the radar in the US market. Now, the family-owned company is hoping to change that.

Last month, Mandelli opened a tailor/showroom on 57th Street in Manhattan to raise his profile in the US. Although the brand has been selling its high-end men’s clothing in the United States for several years to wholesale customers such as Bergdorf Goodman and Forum Group stores, the showroom aims to present its collection to other retailers and directly to customers, who are invited to the garment factory to view the goods in person and place an order.

Luca Errico, new business development manager for Enrico Mandelli SpA, said the brand currently has between 30 and 35 retail customers in the US, and the country accounts for about 20% of the company’s total production.

He said that retailers and customers in the US who have experienced the product line have been captivated by its strong value offering. While the quality and aesthetics are on par with other high-end Italian brands such as Brunello Cucinelli, Kiton and Isaia, the price is lower – though still firmly established in the luxury arena. Prices start at around $2,500 for a basic cashmere outerwear and include $3,800 for a fur collar parka and $9,000 for a full fur coat.

Errico said Mandelli was able to offer a more reasonable price because it owned its own tanneries and factories. It is also the second largest Loro Piana customer in the world, according to Errico.

The brand has a history dating back to the early 1900s when Enrico Mandelli started his business as a leather goods dealer near Lecco in the Lombardy region of Italy. Italy. His son, Paolo, joined the business in 1925 and helped the company expand across the country. In 1960, the third generation of the family, Paolo’s son Enrico, joined the company and began using its leather expertise to produce garments. In addition to leather, the company uses other luxury fibers such as cashmere and vicuña for its sportswear products.

By the 1970s, the company began manufacturing for other luxury brands including Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana and Emanuel Ungaro. Thirty years ago, it started marketing its own collection under the Mandelli name, although it still works for other brands. In fact, private label production still accounts for 30% of total sales, Errico said, declining to name existing customers.

Outerwear represents the bulk of the business, in natural and technical fibers and imported leather, but the brand also offers knitwear, trousers, shoes, bags and accessories. It works a lot on alligator skin and Errico says the brand offers the thinnest alligator leather on the market, 0.4mm. It also offers over 30 Vicuña colors – both solid and patterned. The Fall 2022 Luxury Lifestyle Collection includes products with cashmere linings, fur necklaces, suede details and pockets on the sides of the garment, which the company says is essential for the market. America.

The brand, which has more than 80 styles for the fall, says Errico, focuses more on luxury sportswear rather than designer clothing, a strategy that is working as men move away from suits. clothes for a more comfortable wardrobe.

Mandelli currently operates two stores in Milan and Kiev and another is expected to open in Moscow in the spring. According to Errico, the US plan is to open units in New York, Los Angeles and Miami by 2024.

Two seasons ago, Mandelli also introduced a women’s collection and it will be introduced to the US market next month.