Walk into the store on Via Montenapoleone and the heritage of the brand is palpable, but also communicated in a very
contemporary way. Larusmiani might be the old man of Montenapoleone, but the fusty old man tailoring shop it is not.
Every step of its evolution, from the day Guglielmo Miani began the business in 1922, has been modern and
considered. Those early days were galvanised by Miani's creativity and determination to dress the leading artists,
literates, politicians and entrepreneurs of the time. Among many of the famous customers were Buster Keaton, Charlie
Chaplin, Totò, Fausto Coppi, Walter Chiari, Gino Bramieri and Giuseppe Capogrossi, just to name a few. In 1936, the
company grew exponentially when it started to produce raincoats, along with tailor-made suits. Whether foresight or
serendipity, Miani timed this expansion to perfectly coincide with the sudden vogue for English trenchcoats. The
company name is inspired by the raincoat itself. The unmistakable logo sewn onto each Larusmiani garment is the
seagull, Larus in Latin, chosen for its waterproof plumage and the values of freedom and independence that it
embodies.
Between 1939 and 1958 Guglielmo Miani opened four Larus Boutiques in the centre of Milan, among which was the current
concept boutique on Via Montenapoleone in 1954, around the same time that the textile arm of the business really
started to take off. His entrepreneurial ambition led him to import fine fabrics from Great Britain and he was the
first to import to Italy the famous vicuna,
the most precious fabric in the world. Not only was Miani an excellent tailor and perspicacious
businessman, he was also a patron and philanthropist in love with his city. His charitable efforts and promotion of
Milan's business interests afforded him several honours including, in 1970, the title of O.B.E, Officer of the
British Empire.
In 1973, stewardship of the brand was handed to Riccardo's son Guglielmo, who continued to reconcile the industrial
and sartorial elements of the brand, turning Larusmiani into a high-end textile powerhouse. As the idiom goes,
however, size isn't everything: Riccardo didn't want to turn his back on that element of the business which was so
integral to the brand's heritage - personal tailoring - and so in 2011, the new concept boutique was opened on Via
Montenapoleone, designed by David Collins. In 2015 Larusmiani joined forces with Aldo Lorenzi, bringing his
collection of furniture and accessories into the historic boutique at No. 7 Montenapoleone, perfectly emphasising
Larusmiani's dedication to pure excellence and craftsmanship.
Today, Larusmiani's suit offerings include full bespoke and Made To Measure, the latter of which takes at least 32
hours of work. Practically all the steps involved are carried out by hand, such as the jacket lining, the sewing of
the neck, the making of the pockets, the armhole, and the embroidery of the buttonholes. The inside waistband of the
trousers, the bartacks on belt-loops, the corners of front pockets, the back pockets and buttonholes are all
hand-sewn, as dictated by the rules of long-established tailoring traditions. The inside of the jacket is lined with
camel hair in the front and horsehair on the shoulders. Hand-stitched seams, with looser stitches than machine ones,
give the garment a natural stretchiness that ensures greater comfort and elasticity.
This AW19 collection is full of the tropes we've come to expect from Larusmiani, not least the rich and vibrant
colour palette, which is replete with earthy tones of brown, green and copper. The fabrics are diverse too,
consisting of merino, flannel, velvet, shearling and impossibly soft cashmere. Knitwear is comfortingly chunky
thanks to an array of cable knit styles, while there's also two stunning cashmere zipped hoodies for a more casual,
sporty look. Our favourite from the new drop however, has to be a green suede transatlantic bomber with a shearling
collar: a stunning reiteration of a classic.
