Elite Traveler May-June 2016

INSPIRE THE BIG INTERVIEW

Suited to success Famous for his classic tailoring, Stefano Ricci has spent the last five decades bringing Italian style and quality to clothes and, more recently, home interiors. Barbara Silbe meets the man behind one of the world’s most luxurious brands and discovers the importance of “fatto in Italia”

tefano Ricci is not how you’d expect a man working in high fashion to be. In an industry that's all about appearance and creating an illusion through clothing, you realize as soon as you talk to the Italian designer how different he is from this premise. Ricci is genuine and friendly – indeed, the first thing he tells you is that he loves being a grandfather and pampering his grandchildren. He produces some of the finest men’s clothing in the world, yet he does not want to be called a fashion designer – instead, he is a designer with a particular attention to detail. Ricci started his business in 1972 with his wife Claudia. From the outset, he wanted to create the world’s best tie. In the same year, he presented his first collection of ties at the Pitti Uomo, an international event for menswear and accessories, in Florence. There he met high-end brands, such as Harrods and Neiman Marcus, and in 1980 he presented his first shirt collection. Ricci’s mission has always been to dress men in a classic style, something that ensures his clothes retain a sense of timeliness and are desired across the world. When asked what makes him stand out from the crowd, he simply answers: “ Fatto in Italia ” (made in Italy). Ricci has only ever produced clothing that is 100 percent made in Italy. For him, it is all about quality, creation and image in both tailoring and tradition. To protect and maintain these values, Ricci, together with other companies, founded a consortium in 1986 called Classico Italia. This brought together a number of quality producers in Florence – capturing that palpable, charming and cultured Tuscan spirit – along with Ricci’s own way of attending to customers. “I do not think of competitors,” Ricci says. “When my clients are in one of my stores, and they see an item of clothing, it gives them a certain emotion, they buy it to satisfy their sense of possession, it’s for personal gratification. My clients are faithful and completely fall in love with the clothes. By simply touching them you can feel the quality and see our strict attention to detail. I make clothes, not for those who need them, but for those who fall in love with them – the emotion is part of the buying.” The first Stefano Ricci boutique opened in Shanghai in 1992. More boutiques

followed in Asia, Russia, Europe and the US. Today there are stores in France, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, India, even as far as South Korea. Ricci smiles, and says that throughout his entire career, none of his employees have ever been laid off or gone on strike. Instead, employees have a sense of belonging and pride in the company – surely one of the reasons for his success. “I attribute my success to my vision and to quality,” he says. His vision was to believe in the true Italian spirit and he has never compromised on

“Imake clothes, not for thosewhoneed them, but for thosewho fall in lovewith them”

quality for quantity. “I am a normal man, who is far from the glamour of fashion shows. I belong to an ancient Florentine family, my hobbies are family and hunting. I’m a little scared by the speed at which things change, I feel we need to stop and digest what is happening. In my life I’ve seen many things and I defend the traditions – you cannot and you should not devalue quality.” Living and working in Florence has undoubtedly influenced Ricci’s eye for beauty, sense of proportion, aesthetic and architectural balance, as well as his passion for typical Renaissance drawings that are so evident in his designs. So what next? As well as the menswear, accessories and home design, Ricci has created a junior line – true style for the next generation.