MILAN — At a time of worldwide upheaval brought on by geopolitical and financial headwinds, enterprise woes are trickling all the way down to all style segments and positionings. As customers flip their again on luxurious and high-end style, there could also be renewed potential for the up to date market.
In a single instance of resilience amid turmoil, the Bologna, Italy-based Imperial group is betting on its capabilities to supply fashion-savvy clients with a value-for-money providing pushed by creativity and a slower development tempo in comparison with fast-fashion gamers.
The group was established in 1978 by Adriano Aere and Emilia Giberti and at present counts about 1,000 staff globally.
Mother or father to the Imperial, Dixie and Please manufacturers, the corporate logged 230 million euros in 2024 gross sales, flat versus the earlier yr.
A wholesale-driven enterprise with virtually 4,000 accounts in Europe and Hong Kong, the corporate is making child steps towards the growth of its worldwide footprint and retail operations. The group at present counts 73 flagships throughout its three manufacturers.
“The up to date phase the place our manufacturers function is dealing with a difficult context, but stuffed with alternatives,” mentioned Giberti, group cofounder and president. “Over the previous few years, we have now proved our energy and flexibility, sustaining our market shares.”
The manager talked about shifting buying habits, a stronger deal with sustainability and worldwide competitors as among the many key challenges to deal with.
The Dixie retailer in Turin, Italy.
Courtesy of Imperial Group
The up to date and fashion-driven Dixie model, based in 1996 by Masimo Frosini and Gianni Guastella and bought by the Imperial group in 2014, has been a driving drive for the style group.
Final yr, the label expanded its presence in Switzerland, a strategic market, with retailer openings in Zurich and Locarno, in addition to corners on the Manor shops. The corporate additionally bowed its twenty fourth Dixie boutique in Italy, with a brand new unit in Turin.
Equally, the group has been investing on rising its hero model Imperial, established by the group founders in 1978. Hinged on timeless womenswear and menswear with a toned-down style quotient in comparison with Dixie, the model has added new boutiques in Switzerland’s Bellinzona, Signy and Vernier, along with a brand new flagship on Milan’s Piazza Cordusio, opened final March.
The corporate is concurrently taking a look at rising the menswear division of Imperial, which has been lately retooled to grab the chance of extra frequent and goal drops, with the launch of capsule collections all year long.
The showroom in Aix-en-Provence serving all three manufacturers was considerably expanded final yr to a 13,993-square-foot area, to additional gas the group’s footprint in France, the place it at present counts about 1,400 retail companions.
The Imperial Group showroom in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Courtesy of Imperial Group
Past consolidating present markets for each manufacturers — specifically Germany and Spain, along with France — the corporate is targeted on different key international locations in Europe.
“We’re dedicated to getting into the Netherlands the place we lately attended the Modefabriek truthful in Amsterdam, the primary concrete step to construct relationships and native consciousness. On the similar time, we’re unlocking new alternatives in Belgium, a market that’s commercially synergistic with France,” she mentioned, including Imperial has already accrued average penetration within the nation.
“These steps are testomony to the group’s dedication to rising on a world scale with a immediately operated distribution mannequin, versatile and eager on accommodating the wants of every market, with out shedding our consistency and positioning,” Giberti famous.
The Dixie Retailer in Turin, Italy.
Courtesy of Imperial Group
As enterprise grows, the corporate is tapping into the growing relevance of sustainability, debuting two eco-minded tasks. The Dixie model has unveiled Re-Inventory, a capsule assortment of seasonless clothes crafted from deadstock materials, whereas Please — established by the group founders in 1993 and hinged on denim — has launched the Eco Wash capsule of jeanswear handled with accountable applied sciences together with ozone, laser and e-Circulate.
