Interview with Antonia Giacinti - Illustration by António Soares
The windows of the multi-brand shop in via Cusani are a sure benchmark of style. It is run by Antonia Giacinti, co-owner with Maurizio Purificato of a veritable institution on the Milan shopping scene. Yet Antonia, who is also manager of the Excelsior project for the Coin group, has always preferred to be called by name. In the panorama of fashion that changes, she follows her principles, safeguarding the tradition of Italian manufacture and fearlessly betting on emerging talents.
The big names in the luxury sector are increasingly focusing on the one brand philosophy. How is the role of the multi-store changing and being redefined in such a panorama?
In Italy in recent years, multi-brands have grown out of proportion; this is a completely Italian trend, especially in the provinces. My view is that only those found in the big cities will remain, as is happening in the rest of the world, with the affirmation of department stores which, in turn, are going through a phase of self-selection. It’s the companies themselves that confirm this: either multi-brands show that they have the ability to renew or brands – both the majors and those that are emerging – will prefer to open their own one brand stores. For us, it is a continuous challenge; it is a source of pride to have the Via Montenapoleone fashion district on our doorstep, and yet be able to continuously grow with our stores. It takes great buying insight to succeed in this. We love our work and we will work always with a love for the style that is first and foremost individual, mine for women and Maurizio (my partner) for men.
How important is it to be the first to bet on an emerging brand?
Our strength is a team of highly knowledgeable buyers. Thanks to our success, we have no difficulty in having a new brand in our store. We are proud of the trust that we have built, and our philosophy means that we can choose to alternate historical brands with new lines. For this reason our customers appreciate us. There are many emerging stylists that we have carried both by Antonia and by Excelsior; we would like to have many more young Italian designers!
Do Italian customers have an identifiable taste that differentiates them in some way from foreign customers?
On average, the Italian customer is recognised as refined and with good taste. The average foreign customer is a bit less sophisticated, but we have many top clients that are really very elegant, and often even slightly more eccentric.
E-commerce: a competitor or a resource to place alongside the traditional shopping experience?
We believe that in the future there will remain only the major e-commerce portals, in addition to the flagship sites and those of the large department stores. We did not want to jump immediately, not even into social networks, but we will: there are many top customers who do not travel much, but they know us and are loyal to us, and we cannot let them down.
What would you like to see in the future of fashion, and of Italian fashion?
We would like to see more glamour, more post-catwalk events, more art installations. In a nutshell, see a proud recovery of Italian style; we have a great desire of being Italian and we deserve it: we are excellent craftsmen and have incomparable taste that the whole world recognises in us. Perhaps we should be a little more "aggressive".