L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS for women up to 20 months of the child's life. Our free company canteen serves dif- ferent options daily, includ- i n g f i r s t c o u r s e s , s e c o n d c o u r s e s , a n d a w e l l n e s s menu. We have a company doctor and a nurse available to employees every day. Y o u n e v e r m e t y o u r g r e a t - g r a n d m o t h e r because she died in 1935 at 58. At the time, the brand was already well- k n o w n i n t h e U n i t e d States. But what did your family tell you about her, and what struck you the most? I've never had the oppor- tunity to know her personal- ly, but my father and my aunt told me a lot about her. What emerges from their words is t h a t s h e s u c c e e d e d a t respecting all her duties as a manager, a mother, and a grandmother. She had an enormous sense of humanity and empathy towards her n e x t o f k i n a n d a l l h e r employees, whom she con- sidered part of her family. My aunt told me that when she fell ill with pneumonia, my great-grandmother took lov- ing care of her despite her commitments and responsi- bilities towards the company, which was in the midst of its development. What struck me most was her resourceful- ness. I am the great-grand- daughter of a trailblazer... I lead an almost all-female c o m p a n y a n d t a k e g r e a t pride in that. You earned a degree in p h a r m a c y a n d w e r e a researcher in California for a period. Was it the d e a t h o f y o u r f a t h e r , Lino, that made you tran- s i t i o n t o y o u r g r e a t - grandmother's profes- sion? Or would this have been your natural path anyway? When I was young, I never thought I would be in charge o f t h e f a m i l y b u s i n e s s because I was interested in literature, while my father wanted me to study medi- cine. Yet, this profession has always been part of my DNA. Since childhood, drawing has b e e n m y p a s s i o n . I t w a s something I did remarkably well. After school hours, I would walk around the com- p a n y w i t h m y s i s t e r : w e enjoyed visiting the female designers who taught us var- ious drawing techniques. Many old friends still have those sketches of silhouettes, which we naively defined as bamboline or little dolls. It was somehow my natural path. In the 1940s, Esther Williams, who became famous for taking her swimming skills to the big screen in Technicol- or spectacles, and Lana Turner, one of the high- est-paid actresses of the time, both adored Luisa Spagnoli dresses, as did I t a l i a n m o v i e l e g e n d S o f i a L o r e n . T o d a y , Princess Kate Middleton is clearly a fan of your t w o - p i e c e s u i t s . Y o u r aesthetic seems in keep- ing with her style. We have had the pleasure a n d f o r t u n e o f d r e s s i n g many important and famous women who have often cho- sen us for the timeless femi- nine style of our clothing. Speaking of the recent past, we are very flattered that K a t e M i d d l e t o n c h o s e t o wear Luisa Spagnoli several times. She is an authentic icon of elegance, capable of dictating fashion trends. What is your method of working? How do you combine designing and managing the brand? I design clothes that I like and that can make women feel good about themselves. Managing all the creative, s t r a t e g i c , a n d b u s i n e s s a s p e c t s o f t h e c o m p a n y means I always have to orga- nize and optimize my days as best as possible. During cer- tain periods of the year, I am more focused on the collec- tions, from their creative phase to the choice of fab- rics, preshow fittings and all the processes that lead to the display of the pieces in the shop window. But the busi- n e s s p a r t o f m y j o b g o e s hand in hand with the cre- ative part: it's not easy, but one is functional to the other. How was the latest col- lection born? S p r i n g - S u m m e r 2 0 2 4 , which we showcased during the Milan Fashion Week, was inspired by the icons of the 1970s − like eJane Birkin − and by the urban style of contemporary women, the modern-day city dwellers. It is a collection of contrasts, a c o m b i n a t i o n o f w o m e n ' s multifaced selves. The outfits have new cuts, always ele- gant but more daring. D o e s G e n e r a t i o n Z also love Luisa Spagnoli? We saw that the Italian rock sensations Måne- skin now love wearing your typical polka-dot clothing. Is it a market- ing choice to broaden the demographic range of your customers? For us, it is essential to continue to retain our cur- r e n t c u s t o m e r s , b u t i t i s e q u a l l y c h a l l e n g i n g a n d motivating to expand the tar- g e t c u s t o m e r s t h a t L u i s a Spagnoli addresses. We are working to involve a younger clientele. There has been a n a t u r a l e v o l u t i o n o f o u r product in a stylistic sense, o u r c r e a t i v e j o u r n e y h a s always been dynamic, and we are continuing to move. We want to both gain new seg- ments of the market, and retain our historical clientele and, to do this, we pursued a m o r e t a r g e t e d e x p a n s i o n strategy both in Italy and abroad. From a communica- tion point of view, we focused on digitalization, by diversi- fying the investments. We are conducting a series of internal projects and dealing with various sustainability- related issues more sensibly. About Måneskin, a band symbol of Gen Z, I can tell you that their Luisa Spagnoli looks had nothing to do with a marketing operation: it was an independent choice of t h e i r s t y l i s t . W e w e r e s o happy and proud of this. W h a t i s q u a l i t y f o r you? Our company values quali- ty above all else. At Luisa S p a g n o l i , w e d e s i g n g a r - ments according to the high- est standards of craftsman- ship, paying attention to even the smallest detail. This is what sets us apart and is a quality we hold dear. The "Made in Italy" fashion label is an added bonus, as it rep- resents the Italian know- how, our passion for excel- lence, and our dedication to precision and attention to detail, all of which are reflect- ed in our creations. A beautiful Luisa Spagnoli gown (Photo courtesy of Luisa Spagnoli) "When I was young, I never thought I would be in charge of the family business because I was interested in literature, while my father wanted me to study medicine. Yet, this profession has always been part of my DNA" - Nicoletta Spagnoli CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

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