Why Loro Piana has reason to celebrate as it turns 100: the original ‘quiet luxury’ brand is prized by those in the know – including David Beckham and Jeremy Strong – for its quality materials
Loro Piana’s attention to textile quality has won it fans across the globe, with even Hermès and Fendi relying on it for their raw materials; the house is now helmed by LVMH’s Frédéric Arnault
As anniversaries go, Loro Piana’s 100th this year couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Italian luxury label celebrated the milestone with its first ever exhibition, aptly titled “If You Know, You Know: Loro Piana’s Quest for Excellence”, held at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai.
The event was a fitting way to cap a momentous few years for the low-key maison. Known as the purveyor of the finest fibres in the world – from baby cashmere to merino wool and vicuña – Loro Piana has experienced significant growth recently.
Founded in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, the family company was acquired by LVMH – the largest luxury group in the world – in 2013. Since then it has expanded into categories such as footwear and leather goods, while staying true to its roots as a maker of high-quality, functional and well-designed garments that stand the test of time.
It’s hard to believe that as recently as a decade ago, Loro Piana was not widely known outside industry circles, where it always had a reputation for the utmost quality thanks to its other business of providing yarns and textiles to the world’s top fashion houses and tailors. From Hermès to Louis Vuitton and Fendi, the most prestigious luxury brands rely on Loro Piana for the raw materials to produce creations such as knitwear, scarves and tailored jackets.
The first thing you notice when visiting Loro Piana’s main factories in Roccapietra and Quarona – both in Piedmont and about an hour’s drive from Milan – is how similar they are to a watch manufacturer or a jewellery workshop. Quality control that requires painstaking attention from seasoned artisans; hi-tech machines that detect the tiniest imperfections in a skein of yarn; and a state-of-the-art logistics system for materials ranging from linen to cashmere are some of the feats of engineering and savoir faire at the heart of the two plants.
Tradition and technology, not to mention nature – thanks to the quality of the water in the surrounding mountain region – come together to make the Loro Piana mills symbols of the prestige long associated with the Made in Italy label.
