EVOLVING THE BRAND: GIANLUCA ISAIA ON HOW AND WHY A STORIED SUIT COMPANY BECAME A FULL COLLECTION.

His runway show in Milan (see our coverage of the show here) received accolades for its prescient interpretation of the classics. Rich gold-toned loose-fitting trousers were paired with a chunky cable knit turtleneck in navy. Another model wearing all black and a red jacket accessorized with red suede tasseled slip-on footwear. A rose-colored soft sportcoat complemented drawstring trousers in a paler shade of rose. It was a fabulous homage to Napoli in the 1980s after an earthquake wreaked havoc and hopelessness. It was a celebration of rebirth and renewal, or as creative director Michael Handis put it, “the fusing of past and present to shape the future.”

Photo, above: Gianluca Isaia by Stefano Guindani

Gianluca Isaia has always represented the essence and the passion of the Isaia brand, dressing with just the right touch of irreverence. He wore bold red eyewear and leather sandals with his finely tailored suits long before it was cool to break the rules of sartorial decorum. For this fall 2024 collection, Gianluca explains, he considered color even before selecting fabrics. “Our goal was to add something new to our tradition and color defines the mood. Since 2020 Covid, comfort has become the other key component. Not comfort as in sweatpants, but trousers in dressier fabrics with a drawstring waistband: our customers want to look elegant and still be comfortable.”

Here, we ask Gianluca a few questions about how the business is changing.

MR: What from your recent fall ‘23 collection is selling best in the stores?

Gianluca Isaia: In addition to sport coats, overshirts and drawstring pants (even in suits) are the hot items. Elegance and comfort now work hand-in-hand.

MR: How much have prices increased this season and how is this impacting sales?
GI: We had a price increase right after 2020 Covid but since then, we’ve had two full seasons without price increases. We were able to do this because we did something very important for the company: we brought production in-house for many of our categories. We now produce pants, denim, tees, cloth, and leather outerwear, all in-house. (The only things we don’t make in-house are footwear and sweaters, but we just invested in the world’s best knitting machines and will be crafting sweaters shortly.)

MR: Why bring sportswear production in-house?
GI: During Covid, starting in 2020 when no one was buying suits or sportscoats, our workers had too little to do. We didn’t want to fire anyone, so we decided to expand our sportswear offerings to keep them busy. This also offered us the opportunity to do made-to-measure in special items like leather jackets and denim jeans. Our designers and craftsmen rose to the occasion and upgraded the fashion and quality to the point where sportswear has grown from 10 percent of our business to more than 40 percent. We’re now a full contemporary collection but always rooted in tradition. Few other luxury collections produce everything internally. In our marketing and for our Milan runway shows, we used younger models to put the focus on a new generation.

MR: How are you doing with your stores in the U.S. and how is business online?
GI: We now have stores in five U.S. cities: New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA. We just closed the deal on a beautiful new store in Palm Beach; it’s next to Chanel and should do very well. And for me, it’s great: I have many friends who moved to South Florida during Covid. When I visit stores, I always take some time to spend with friends on the beach. I love to take a few extra days to relax in Miami.
As for online business, we do it but it’s not a big number; we weren’t expecting it to be. Our customers don’t need another sport coat or sweater. They don’t need to buy anything. They come into our stores to enjoy a special experience: all our stores have a bar, a piano, and personable employees. I recently received this comment from a man who visited our store in Capri. He said, ‘I can’t believe I just spent seven days in Capri, and five of my evenings were spent in your store.’ For me, this was the ultimate compliment! In essence, we’re in the hospitality business.”

MR: Other than your own stores, how’s business in the U.S.?
GI: It’s been really good in special specialty stores like Martin Patrick 3 and A.K. Rikk’s. They understand our spirit and our identity and communicate them through exceptional presentation.

MR: How are your children and are they involved in the business?
GI: My daughter is 28 and just started working in the business a few months ago. My son is 25 and still at university so who knows? I do know that they are growing up too fast: I just woke up one day and they were adults…