L'Italo-Americano

LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano g l o b a l l y a n d M a g g i o n i believes the US alone has the potential to reach that s c a l e . N o r t h A m e r i c a remains a key focus, with s t r o n g d e m a n d i n N e w York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. But Central and South America are expand- ing fast as well. "Mexican clients are among the top s h o p p e r s i n M a d r i d , " h e noted. "Brazilians, Argen- tinians, these communities d e e p l y c o n n e c t w i t h t h e brand. There's incredible p o t e n t i a l i n t h e r e g i o n . " Scaling the US market, he said, isn't just about adding stores, but reinventing what those stores can be. "From transactional spaces of 100 square meters to 500 square m e t e r s o r m o r e … p l a c e s where people spend time, co-create, connect: that's how we scale such a beauti- ful market." One of the biggest sur- p r i s e s f o r M a g g i o n i h a s b e e n t h e U S c o n s u m e r ' s readiness to embrace co- creation. "American con- sumers adopt co-creation immediately," he explained. "In some markets, people still want the brand to tell them what to wear. Ameri- cans say, 'Let me in, let me create.' There's a one-to-one correlation between Ameri- c a n c u l t u r e a n d G o l d e n G o o s e v a l u e s . " H e a l s o guide the space's creative identity. An identity that is built different, for example for its use of sport as a product e x t e n s i o n . " F o r m a n y b r a n d s , s p o r t i s a w a y o f e x p a n d i n g t h e i r p r o d u c t proposition," Maggioni said. "For us, it's about under- standing the communities our consumers love." Skate culture and street basketball were early connections, but t h e b r a n d i s n o w l e a n i n g into the explosive popularity of padel, launching Golden G o o s e A r e n a i n M i l a n , a 5,000-square-meter space dedicated to sport, wellbe- ing, and community. "The purpose isn't the spotlight," he adds. "It's to serve our c o m m u n i t y o u t s i d e t h e i r w o r k a n d l e i s u r e l i f e , i n their sport habits. Padel is c o m p e t i t i v e , y e s , b u t i t ' s also playful and social. Per- f o r m a n c e , b u t f o r e v e r y - b o d y . " T h e A r e n a a l s o includes spaces for wellness a n d s e l f - c a r e , r e f l e c t i n g G o l d e n G o o s e ' s g r o w i n g e m p h a s i s o n h o l i s t i c lifestyle experiences. M a g g i o n i r e c e n t l y assumed leadership of Gold- en Goose's largest and most strategic market: the United States. "It's an honor and an incredible opportunity," he s a i d . T h e b r a n d i s approaching €800 million noted that preferences vary w i t h i n t h e U S " D i f f e r e n t c i t i e s h a v e t h e i r o w n approaches to fashion and luxury. You have to respect those differences." For retailers wondering w h e t h e r G o l d e n G o o s e plans to expand beyond the c o a s t s , M a g g i o n i e m p h a - sizes integrity over short- cuts. "You have to decide where your brand sits –pre- mium, luxury, affordable – a n d s t i c k t o i t , " h e s a i d . Early success in the US, he a d d s , c a m e t h a n k s t o a visionary agent who posi- tioned Golden Goose care- f u l l y a n d t h o u g h t f u l l y . "Start with the major cities. S t a y t r u e t o y o u r p r i c e point. Choose the right spe- cialty stores. And avoid the big chains if you can: they're not in good shape." Digital channels, he added, are the final piece: "Direct digital distribution gives consisten- c y a n d i n t e g r i t y t o y o u r brand." M a g g i o n i s e e s t o d a y ' s younger consumers, espe- cially Gen Z, as central to Golden Goose's future. A recent visit from his daugh- ter in New York offered a t e l l i n g g l i m p s e o f t h e i r mindset: "She took me to a remote vintage warehouse in Brooklyn, and then she took me to our store to do a co-creation," he says. "I did- n't push. It was her choice." He sees authenticity as the key to earning Gen Z's trust. "Some brands disappoint by p l a y i n g t o o m u c h w i t h prices or pretending scarcity but being everywhere," he s a i d . " Y o u n g g e n e r a t i o n s w a n t h o n e s t y . T h e m o s t honest thing we can do is open up to creativity." Asked about competing w i t h g l o b a l p o w e r h o u s e s like Nike and Adidas, Mag- g i o n i ' s p e r s p e c t i v e i s refreshingly unconvention- al. "The more these giants succeed, the better for us," h e s a i d . " T h e y e d u c a t e y o u n g g e n e r a t i o n s a b o u t creativity and co-creation. Once people experience that at 100 or 150 dollars, they s t a r t d e s i r i n g s o m e t h i n g more. When they're ready f o r t h e n e x t s t e p , w e ' r e there." worked for the Ermenegildo Zegna Group and Giorgio Armani. T h e b r a n d ' s " H o u s e " concept, first imagined by founders Gallo and Rinaldo, is now one of its most ambi- tious pillars. "It started as a very niche, very iconic con- cept for a few," Maggioni r e c a l l e d . " W e a s k e d o u r - s e l v e s h o w t o r e s t a r t t h e House journey and open it u p t o c o n s u m e r s . " T h e a n s w e r w a s f o u n d i n M a r g h e r a , n e a r V e n i c e , where Golden Goose built a sprawling 150,000-square- foot campus dedicated to craftsmanship, education, a n d a r t . " W e w e l c o m e young students who want to build a career in craftsman- ship. We host artists who want to create or display their art. And it's also home to our major repair center," he said. "That's where the H o u s e w a s r e b o r n . " T h e i d e a h a s s i n c e e x p a n d e d globally, with each House reinterpreted through the culture of its host city. "In Tokyo, it reflects Japanese culture and art; in Mexico City, it embraces Mexican heritage and invites local artists to collaborate with us." The next opening, set for Madison Avenue in New Y o r k , w i l l e m b o d y " t h e House of the Collector," a theme Maggioni says will G olden Goose CEO Mauro M a g g i o n i t a l k s a b o u t the brand the way others might talk about art: as something alive, con- stantly evolving, and deeply rooted in personal expres- sion. One of the examples M a g g i o n i g i v e s c o m e s directly from the brand's repair studios, which reflect its philosophy. "Anyone who brings in a pair of shoes for repair often ends up buying a new pair or enhancing the pair they already own. We call it a 'remake.' It can be a new color, a new sole, gen- erally, an element of creativ- ity. Once you become part of the creative process, you no longer just own a product or a brand. You build a memo- ry that lasts forever." This Golden Goose phi- losophy, called The For- ward Concept, is based on the brand's efforts to pre- serve and reinvent products t o r e d u c e e n v i r o n m e n t a l impact, offering repair and remake services not only for its iconic sneakers but also f o r i t e m s f r o m a n y o t h e r b r a n d . T h e s e a n d o t h e r insights emerged during the first-ever Italian Fashion Day Worldwide, held at t h e I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l Institute of Los Angeles, in a conversation moderated by Dennita Sewell, Director o f t h e F a s h i o n R e s o u r c e C e n t e r a t F I D M , w i t h Mauro Maggioni, the newly a p p o i n t e d C E O f o r t h e Americas at Golden Goose, the Italian brand globally known for its iconic sneak- e r s . F o u n d e d i n 2 0 0 0 b y designers Francesca Rinal- do and Alessandro Gallo – b o t h f r o m t h e i n d u s t r i a l port of Marghera, northwest of Venice – Golden Goose opened its third Forward store in the United States last June in Dallas (follow- ing New York and Miami). M a g g i o n i j o i n e d G o l d e n Goose in 2019 and recently stepped into the role of CEO f o r t h e A m e r i c a s . B e f o r e j o i n i n g t h e c o m p a n y , h e From left, Emanuele Amendola, director of IIC LA, Golden Goose CEO Mauro Maggioni and Consul General Raffaella Valentini (Photo: Veronica Maffei) Golden Goose CEO Mauro Maggioni talks creativity and expansion in the Usa at Italian fashion day in LA SILVIA NITTOLI

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