060 WHAT'S THE STORY FAST SHIFTING
Lardini
“Passion and Love Unites Us” The Lardini family, which hails from the tranquil municipality of Filottrano, has demonstrated that it is possible to take advantage of opportunities in times of crisis. A modern interpretation of traditional tailoring and tangible intrinsic value are but two of the most obvious virtues of the brand. style in progress sat down with Luigi Lardini, the creative director, to talk about the emergence of the family business. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold. Photos: Lardini
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Yes, one can describe Lardini as the epitome of traditional sartorial artistry. The brand is based on decades of tailoring experience, local knowledge, and the sheer determination to uphold the promise of quality that the Italian manufacturing industry implies. The combination of these values has ensured that Lardini has come a long way. As a result, the company is one of the most important clothing manufacturers on the Italian and international markets. Based in Filottrano, Lardini is perceived as the custodian of manufacturing skills upheld by very few businesses. Filottrano, an enchanting medieval town in the Ancona area, is not only a spectacular corporate setting, but - as Luigi Lardini puts it - “also nourishes Lardini’s very soul”. Today, 2,000 garments are produced in Filottrano before being sent out to international markets via a constantly expanding distribution chain that currently relies on 550 sales outlets in carefully selected multi-brand stores and retail areas in the best department stores - not only in Europe, but also in Japan, Korea, Russia, China, and the US. In 2014, Lardini opened a new showroom in a prestigious historical building in Via Manzoni in Milan’s so-called “Golden Triangle”. In 2016, the premises were extended by a further 300 square metres. This wasn’t the only expansion project of 2016. Lardini also improved the technological setup of its production plant in Filottrano and almost doubled its surface area. Naturally, the company ensured it didn’t jeopardise its sustainability standards or detract from the surrounding landscape. This was a strong statement in the midst of an unstable economic climate and an international crisis.
Luigi Lardini is the brand’s creative director. He built the business with his three siblings, Andrea, Lorena, and Annarita.
Out of Nowhere
A glance into the corporate history books makes clear that the Lardini family has always been adept at taking advantage of opportunities. When Luigi Lardini launched his menswear collection at the tender age of eighteen, he was armed with little else than a passion for style and elegance. Intuitively sensing the potential of his choices, his brother Andrea, then 21, and his sister Lorena, then 19, followed suit. Their father provided financial backing during the start-up phase. In 1978, a tailoring workshop was opened and it soon attracted the attention of international fashion icons. Within a matter of years, the siblings expanded their list of
customers, which soon included some distinguished international names. Business burgeoned and the Lardinis took on different roles, acting in different - yet complementing - capacities to foster corporate development. Andrea, with his degree in computer engineering, was predestined to take care of the technological aspects of the business, while Lorena took on the responsibility for administrative and financial management. A few years later, their younger sister, Annarita, also joined the family business and assumed responsibility for quality control. Motivated by their success and the desire to take advantage of new expansion possibilities, the Lardini family decided to
