p32-33 Loro Hurl Iss05
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hurlingham [ fashion]
cut from the same cloth With six generations’ experience of manufacturing luxury cashmere and wool, Loro Piana now turn out some of the finest equestrian apparel, says Edwina Ings-Chambers
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It’s certainly true that horses have become fashionable of late. Think not just Madonna and her latest ‘English lady of the manor’ incarnation, but also the preponderance of equestrian-inspired catwalk trends such as riding hats, boots and jodhpurs that popped up everywhere from Balenciaga to Hermès. But at one house, horses – or, more specifically, polo ponies – hold an almost intrinsic importance. ‘The Loro Piana family has always had a love for horses and equestrian sports,’ say Sergio and Pier Luigi Loro Piana, brothers and CEOs of the still family-owned company. ‘This genuine passion reflects the values of the company and led us to establish a cooperation with the Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports (FISE) in 1987 with the setting up of Team Italia – a show jumping and polo team. Furthermore, this sport wisely combines the strong discipline of competition, the physical pleasure of riding, and a relationship with nature, all of which are constant sources of inspiration for Loro Piana’s creations.’ Loro Piana have only been in the creation business for around 20 years, originally concentrating on the more obvious brand extension wearable pieces such as shawls and scarves. Prior to that, they specialised in producing some of the finest woollen and cashmere cloths and supplying some of the biggest names in the tailoring and clothing industry. But it was the horse that inspired the house’s first piece of clothing – the Horsey jacket – back in 1992. It was created for the Italian riders who participated in the
Olympic Games in Barcelona that year, although the brothers point out that ‘it can also be worn for any kind of leisure activity in the city’. The jacket generated interest, and they realised the potential of offering it and other clothes under their own brand at a retail level. In 2001 the official Loro Piana Polo Team was established. ‘It was during a chance meeting between myself and Alfio Marchini (now team captain) one day on a polo field, that the idea was conceived to expand the concept of team play from jumping to polo,’ explains Sergio Loro Piana. ‘In assuring an ongoing relationship of trust with the captain (who always selects his own team each time in accordance with the handicap), Loro Piana, who does not usually sponsor but actually takes part in tournaments with its own team, had found its way in polo.’ Once a team was formed, the clothes naturally followed. ‘One of the first steps was to create, together with the input of the captain and his team, a jacket specially designed for Polo players – the Horsey Short – which is now the team’s official jacket.’ The jacket has been designed to match a rider’s movements, and boasts detailing such as cuffs closed by means of anti-wind and anti-rain velcro fastenings. It should launch in stores this spring. Also designed for the team, and already available at retail, are the long and short-sleeved Polo Open Team shirts. For the brothers these kinds of link-ups are not about marketing or giving some value-added glamour, but about continuing
to forge genuine links with their customers and their interests. ‘Our clients are the core of our strategy,’ they say. ‘They are men and women aged 30-plus who are quality conscious and sensitive to timeless elegance. They are high net-worth, professionally and socially active individuals and frequent international travellers with a passion for outdoor sports such as sailing, riding and vintage car racing. In order to respond to their needs, we develop different functional items that can be very versatile.’ But they also use their serious participation in sport to rigorously test their own products. ‘We use these sports that represent the family’s passions as testing grounds for our products. Rather than talking about challenges, it is simply the capacity of creating functional products specially designed for a specific sport,’ explain the brothers. It all comes as part and parcel of the luxury lifestyle that the Loro Pianas live themselves, but also take great care to so perfectly cater to at retail. It comes complete with a determination not to compromise, with an attention to detail that has been honed to the same level of refinement as those polo ponies themselves. And, though that level of production may make prices formidably high for some, there is at least the knowledge that these are clothes that go beyond trends, beyond fashion, and will likely to go yonder with you into the future. Or, to put it another way, you’re unlikely to chukka them out. www.loropiana.com
