Fine and Florentine

Stefano Ricci on his suits, his first India store, and being hosted by Ratan Tata.

As far as Italian labels go, Stefano Ricci is a name to know. Despite the country’s century-old history in suitmaking and its several renowned luxury labels, Stefano Ricci has emerged on par with them in just 43 years. How come, I ask the silver-haired gentleman, who insists on having a cigarette inside his new store at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai. “Being from Florence is a great help,” he offers. “You grow up with so much art and a sense of proportion.”

Ricci is a great lover of his hometown (he lives in Fiesole, a hill on the outskirts of the Renaissance city). When the world-class menswear trade fair Pitti Uomo rang in its 60th year last July, it was 65-year-old Ricci who helmed the affairs. An elegant concert by Andrea Boccelli was on the menu along with a sound-and-light aquatic show on the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s most famous bridge.

Every collection from this designer seems to be a paean for the city’s aesthetic influence. That said, the label is hardly old-fashioned and fusty. Its largely contemporary vibe makes it a modern classic. It is, in the designer’s words, for a man who appreciates rare and precious materials, sophisticated details, exclusive prints, unseen shades of colour and a style that is classic and still personal. There are suits (from Rs 2.70 lakh upwards), dress shirts, jeans (Rs 39,000 upwards), polo T-shirts (Rs 42,000 upwards) and of course — his first love — ties (Rs 12,000 each).

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A Stefano Ricci suit can be spotted from far. For one, because it is made with absolutely high quality standards, and secondly, for his use of colour. “The quality of my production speaks for itself, not an advertising campaign or a fashion show. I have a maniac approach to picking the finest fabrics and tailors. It is the master tailors and craftsmen who are my teachers. I have the inspiration, they have the know-how,” he says modestly.

The store is spread across 2,500 sq ft and has three sections: menswear, interiors and bespoke. Two materials are mostly used — Italian travertino and Californian walnut. The sofas are made of real crocodile skin. “From the Nile,” he says, “Be careful or they may bite.”

Several Italian menswear labels have their stores in India already, some since over a decade. Stefano Ricci first opened in China 22 years ago.

Does he feel he has arrived in India a tad late? “I have had several Indian gentlemen making purchases from my stores in Los Angeles, Paris, Florence and Moscow. They convinced me to open a store in Mumbai,” he says.

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He couldn’t have asked for a grander opening though. Ratan Tata himself has done the honours of an elaborate dinner for a exclusive few. “He is a genius and a gentleman. I have never known someone to be admired by as many people across the world. It is a compliment to me that I will be sitting with him. It is a great compliment to Italian creativity.”

namratanow@gmail.com

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