FASHION:” CASUAL REVOLUTION” AT BRIONI: ANTI_CRISIS T_SHIRTS

The casual revolution of Brioni goes on: after the jeans, now there are the T-shirts. The “New York Times” has published this news explaining how the tailor of the President and of James Bond points less on the double-breasted classical suits with hand-sewn button-holes but on the T-shirts. Brioni has never wanted to relocate his production from Abruzzo, the daily has underlined, unlike some other Italian stylists like Zegna. But according to Armando Brachini, executive Director for Altagamma, Brioni ‘s choice towards T-shirts this autumn is a signal that he aims at younger customers and that his loyal customers have changed their lifestyle. While 3 years ago the “casual wear” constituted only 15-20% of the income of this society from Abruzzo, now it reaches 30-40%, and the target the Administrator Andrea Perrone wants to achieve is 50%. It is also thanks to this change that the king of Taylors has had the same profit as in 2007, about € 30 million; the other great change of Brioni’s strategy is” the way of Silk”: he wants to conquer Russia, Middle East, India and China to balance his decrease on the American market, that represents only 30% of the sales. Sure , his T-shirts are not common T-shirts : “ they will be different if you touch them”- Perrone says- resistant cotton , but unrefined. In his shop instead, some sweaters decorated with flowers will be sold and endowed with Brioni’s labels from the “ 50s and 60s, real marks from the times of“ Dolce Vita”. Even the most exclusive brands as this from Penne have to find other ways because of this crisis, in fact Brioni has also reduced some working-time to his 1400 workers and tailors in fact the administrator says “Even if we are loyal to our traditions, we are aware of the market needs”. But he adds” we act with prudence, we want to improve our firm in the Brioni way-that is to say- not twenty shops per year but only two or three”. And the New York Times tells how “ the workers still offer Brioni homemade cheese and olive oil while a priest celebrates the mess in the café at Xmas or at Easter, few meters’ far from the sewing machines”.