Pasta for All

Renaissance great Sandro Botticelli. Ricci’s spokesperson says the label will be in India in six months.

While India has long been the stomping ground for French luxury goliaths such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, L’Oreal and Lancome, Italian labels have shown a relatively smaller presence. Other than Gucci — named the top Italian brand in the world by Interbrand Top 100 Best Global Brands (ahead of Porsche) — Tod’s, Salvatore Ferragamo, Zegna and Canali have only one store each in India.

But the next few months are going to see newer Italian labels arrive at our shores with their glitzy stores. For starters, Bulgari is bringing in its high-end jewels with a mint-new store at New Delhi’s DLF Emporio mall. This is especially interesting on another count — international jewellery houses have preferred to keep away from India because of our country’s famous reputation for copying their designs and selling them at a fraction of the price.

Bulgari is bringing its baubles, coloured gemstones, bejewelled watches and the entire new range of products for what promises to be a spectacular launch on November 19. Teamed with a fashion collection by the much-loved Indian couturier Anamika Khanna, the soiree promises to have all of the capital city’s glitterers on call.

Brunello Cucinelli is a label adored by die-hard fans of Italian fashion. It is a young label, Mr Cucinelli himself is only 60 years old. He grew up in abject poverty and started a small sweater business with a loan from a friend in 1978. He took his company to the Milan stock exchange only in 2012 and found himself to be a billionaire by 2013.

The Brunello Cucinelli label is especially known for its cashmere. It is a chic and understated sportswear brand with high-quality, couture-style finishes. But it’s also known for its business ethics. Cucinelli pays his employees 20 per cent more than others, and will hire the children of his workers immediately, if they wish to join him. At Pitti Uomo in Florence last July, the company’s spokesperson said they are most charmed by Mumbai and will open its first store here.

I saw Tombolini’s Zero Gravity collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence in July. It comprised summer jackets constructed without a lining. A fan blowing from under the mannequin kept billowing like a ghost on a motorcycle. Tombolini has been dreaming of India since last year too.

It was at the Pitti exhibit again that I was introduced to the Antony Morato label. The chief merchandiser from Myntra took me to their stall (a large boutique at the city’s Fortezza da Basso) because it had a swimming pool and free Martinis. The entire boutique was like Kanye West’s pool party, beautiful people hung around and chatted like flaneurs. The clothes were utterly hip, and slightly more expensive than Zara (between Rs 3,000 and Rs 13,000). Myntra will be stocking them by this year’s end.

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Stefano Ricci is a charming Italian signore and a real Florentine legend. He started his company making silk ties, but it is now a family-owned-and-run luxury menswear label. In 2010, his company revived a historic silk mill in Florence. His new line is inspired by the

Renaissance great Sandro Botticelli. Ricci’s spokesperson says the label will be in India in six months.

The Italian fashion industry is mostly self-owned, unlike the French labels which are largely owned and managed by conglomerates. This makes their ventures smaller, but more special too. Moreover, the country is facing a huge economic slowdown, and newer markets like India hold promise.

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