Conveying Passion

Undisputedly strong in Italy, RRD now wants to finally make a breakthrough in terms of exports.

A passionate entrepreneur: Roberto Ricci turned his one-man show into a company.

RRD CONVEYING PASSION

Roberto Ricci is the founder and owner of highly successful Italian sports and fashion brand RRD (Roberto Ricci Design). The former professional surfer and windsurf board shaper plans to further expand the fashion line and continue the internationalisation of the company.

Interview: Janaina Engelmann-Brothánek. Photos: RRD

Roberto, RRD has been around for more than

thirty years. How has the brand developed?

I launched RRD in 1988 when I shaped my first windsurfing board. Right from the outset, it was my intention to sell matching outfits, so shirts and shorts, alongside the sports equipment. New items were added over the years. It started off as a one-man show really. My aim was to accompany and equip the windsurfing pros on the PBA/PWA Tour. Today, we count approximately 50 employees in-house. That number swells to more than 100 if you include our external staff. We now represent a total look for women and men. We will also soon be relocating to new headquarters. We are currently renovating an old textile factory here in Grosseto and will then have around 16,000 square metres to ourselves. I would say the brand has developed quite well.

When did you make the transition from a one-man show to a company?

I remember that leap very clearly. It happened in December 1993. Back then, I was shaping surfboards in a small workshop under my parents’ house and one of the ovens caught fire – everything went up in flames within a few minutes. It was a huge shock, but I decided to get serious that same night. I went to the bank on the next day and took out a loan of 200 million Lire, backed by a guarantee provided by my father. I invested 150 million in sponsoring Anders Bringdal (then number two in the international windsurfing rankings), 40 million in a new workshop, and left 10 million in the bank as collateral. That is how I became an entrepreneur.

How do you define leadership?

I myself do not wish to be defined as a leader. I am, however, a passionate entrepreneur. I love what I do, and I try to convey that sentiment. I want my employees to be involved in the processes, to experience and create things as a team. What we manufacture is not simple material, it represents a way of life that needs to be embraced. That is why I try to exemplify important values, especially to younger generations. Know-how needs to be shared; mistakes are important. Be brave, harmonise with nature, and much more.

International expansion is high on the agenda. Which strategy are you planning to pursue?

What is very interesting is that the surfboards conquered the international markets first, while the RRD collections first gained popularity in Italy. Our aim is to boost RRD exports, for which we have hired a completely new team. Internationalisation always requires investment, and we are now ready and well-positioned to do just that. In terms of our collections, our aim is to increase the contribution of exports to total sales from 15% to 50% over the next few years. France is already responding really well after one season. And I am sure we can perform even better in Germany, too.