Photo © Luca Faloni

Premium menswear brands have their own leading lights as well. Try it yourself: when the conversation turns to men’s fashion, many gentlemen are looking for timelessness rather than trends, comfort without compromising style. And how do you preserve good taste when business follows you across every time zone? The eponymous label Luca Faloni has established itself in the modern man’s wardrobe by opening a window onto Italy.

By Sabah Kaddouri

Your years in San Francisco led you in an unexpected direction. Yet one constant runs through your career: the desire to meet an unmet need, as is common in Silicon Valley.

Luca Faloni : I left Italy in my early twenties for England, then the United States. I split my time between the two destinations. In this new life far from Turin, I discovered how difficult it was for a man to find good places to buy clothes. In Italy, there is genuine craftsmanship in fashion that caters to every budget, always with a hallmark of quality to which I am deeply attached. Little by little, I started looking at the issue seriously. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I was certainly not the only man who felt that way. The momentum was there with the rise of online retail (2012-2014). So I wanted to bring authentic Italian expertise to market, while removing the margin taken by intermediaries in order to sell directly to discerning men.

For the first six years, we were present only online. To support our growth, we later opened physical locations in London and New York.

What did you learn along the way from that self-taught approach?

L.F : First and foremost, you have to stay focused, be exacting about the product and its constant improvement. Listening to customers – through feedback and any difficulties they may encounter – is a way to grow a brand. At Luca Faloni, we do not follow trends or seasons: we focus on creating beautifully made products. One thing I drew from my previous career in consulting was my analytical approach to problems and my ability to set priorities in order to find practical solutions. It is work that goes hand in hand with a great deal of persistence.

The answer lies in time. Who is the Luca Faloni man?

L.F : “Less is more” — the Luca Faloni man identifies with that idea of prioritising quality over quantity. Comfort is also an important criterion, because these are people who are highly engaged professionally and socially. Fabrics such as linen, cotton and cashmere fit into their everyday lives, no matter the hour or time zone. They are not the kind of professionals who wear a black suit every day, so they can introduce colour and appreciate our Portofino shirts, offered in several shades (lilac, forest green, caramel brown, pale pink…). Our Portofino model is in fact a bestseller!

The result is a timeless wardrobe made up of premium essentials – linen shirts, cashmere knitwear, suede overshirts – crafted in Italy and designed to outlast fleeting fashion cycles.

Buying at Luca Faloni is an experiential immersion. What was your thinking behind it?

L.F : To understand men, you need to understand their relationship with clothing and with the way they live and consume today. In short, you have to listen to them. In my thinking, I am not really inspired by fashion. When our customers visit us, they are often accompanied by their wives and children. We have therefore created an environment that combines Italian lifestyle and conviviality so that everyone feels at ease. There is a bar where guests can enjoy excellent house coffee and other drinks, a library stocked with beautiful books and the latest magazines, a table for a game of chess, and cosy spaces arranged like living rooms… In this bubble of calm, men can choose what suits them while their loved ones enjoy a pleasant moment. The act of buying goes beyond consumerism.

Running a brand is mainly about…?

L.F : A brand is a promise, a pact of trust. In Italy, it is deeply rooted in our culture to name companies with our surname – across every industry – and it is a very powerful symbol, because we are putting our own name behind what we sell and communicate. One could speak of pride in seeing one’s company bear one’s name. So running a brand means staying true to the values you promote and building a relationship of loyalty. Luca Faloni’s DNA is quality, aesthetics and a sense of service. In two words: good taste. I am not trying to reinvent menswear, but to perfect the essentials men wear every day. My role is to make that positioning clear.

Moreover, leading a brand also means accepting the choice not to raise funds in order to accelerate. You have to remain aligned with your vision. If freedom is essential to you and you want to build for the long term, then it is always better to remain the majority shareholder.

Sport is more than ever a strategic arena for brands. Your brand has invested in tennis; what is your roadmap in this field?

Our partnership began with the Munich Open, which was a very strong first experience. Today, Maison Luca Faloni sponsors the tournaments in Gstaad, Mallorca and Kitzbühel. These partnerships have allowed us to extend our universe to new customers while strengthening our relationship with long-standing supporters. Tennis is highly relevant for us because its reach is global, unlike niche sports with a limited audience. And as an Italian brand, we are witnessing the dominance of all these great Italian champions – embodied by the gifted world number one Jannik Sinner – a generation that is drawing every eye.

As a result, the brand will continue to strengthen its presence in this sport while remaining selective.

I also love the wonderful experience that comes from destinations such as Gstaad or Mallorca… There is a certain charm in living these competitions in such postcard settings. Monte-Carlo could be the next step.

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