Fumagalli 1891 got its start in the late 19th century under the guidance of founder Attilio Fumagalli, whose family had a rich history in fine textiles. Initially producing luxurious silk dressing gowns and handmade ties in airy silk gauze (the specialty of Atilio’s mill-owning father, Germano Fumagalli, who was a pioneer of ‘English Gauze’ weaving in Italy), in those early days customers would visit the workshops at Via Sirtori, commission a tie from the archive of cloth samples, and watch in rapt appreciation as it was created from scratch.
In the post-war years, the next generation of family helming the company, Alberto and Mario Fumagalli, developed what they called ‘Gold Twill’ — a patented process of printing that resulted in remarkably vibrant colours, crisp definition of patterns and motifs, while keeping the silk twill cloth soft and supple. With the brand’s prestige growing during the intervening decades, in 1981, Paolo Fumagalli, the nephew of founder Attilio, met menswear entrepreneur Guido Delli Fiori — the two became partners, expanding the market for Fumagalli’s products and moving the headquarters to a grand villa in historic silk hub, Como. Here, Guido’s son Roberto Delli Fiori, the CEO moving the brand forward into the 21st century, explains to The Rake what sets this storied artisanal accessories house apart.
What qualities and attributes distinguish your ties from others’? What makes a Fumagalli tie unique?
I believe that not many people recall the true story of the tie. Probably we — as the oldest tiemaker in Italy, after
125 years in the market — can really tell many things about it. But that is not enough. Research is the keyword.
Every fabric, each design is being created exclusively, and finishing is also outstanding. All these hallmarks
make a Fumagalli tie stand out. Not to mention the fact that our products come with exclusive and innovative
packaging boxes — which are proudly made in Italy, like anything bearing the Fumagalli brand.
Could you explain the company slogan, Stile e Passione, Arte e Cultura?
One day a customer asked me, “Your products and your brand are beautiful, I fell in love with Fumagalli, but some of
your biggest competitors look similar to you. Their fabrics are comparable to yours, they use hand stitching too,
so what really distinguishes you from them?” At that time I was not able to provide a proper answer. Today I can.
I think it is art, history and culture. Whoever comes to our offices and sees our cultural and artistic heritage
will be impressed and emotionally involved from our charming retro style. This is a legacy that my family has left
us. We Italians are a people of artists, navigators and painters. What, if not art and culture, is it that
distinguishes Italy and Italians from the rest of the world?
