PARIS – Berluti has a new home in Milan.
The French menswear label has opened a boutique on Via Gesù on the ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Milano, the first in Europe to feature its latest retail concept, originally introduced in Tokyo five years ago.
In an exclusive interview with WWD, Jean-Marc Mansvelt, chief executive officer of Berluti, said the brand hopes its new location will attract a larger proportion of local clients than its previous unit on Via Montenapoleone, which catered mainly to tourists.
It’s part of the brand’s broader strategy of recentering its business on its most lucrative segments and markets, having opted out of seasonal collections to stage an annual presentation during the Paris Fashion Week men’s shows in June.
“One of our main goals with this new store is to reconnect with local Italian customers. We want them to see and understand us. Right now, they don’t make up a huge part of our sales there, although in Milan in general, the local clientele is strong,” he said.
