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.
