ONES TO WATCH: LUCIANO MORESCO
“Often in life, when one door closes, a portal opens…” quips Luciano Moresco, a multi-brand agent whose 19-year relationship with one Italian luxury clothing maker recently ended when the brand opened its own New York City showroom.
“For 19 years, I never considered carrying another clothing line because I put all my energy into one brand, but with this new situation, I was free to investigate other options. I went to southern Italy and visited 22 different clothing factories, most of which were not doing business in the States. I was delighted to discover beautiful product, beautiful people, state-of-the-art manufacturing and very attractive prices. So I’m now doing a full clothing collection under my own label: it’s got a somewhat younger sensibility, it’s sized to American specs and it’s priced to offer extra margin to the stores. ”
Indeed. Most sportcoats (many unlined, all beautifully constructed of gorgeous fabrics) are in the $250 -$400 wholesale range (with a suggested retail of $1000 and up). “It’s a great margin opportunity because the product compares favorably to much more expensive labels.”
Dress pants (looking comparable to Zanella and Incotex) cost $70-$100 and casual pants (many with innovative details and trim) cost $70-$80. We especially loved a knit DB patterned sportcoat, a fabulous stonewashed denim sportcoat ($168 cost, the original wide lapel has been deemed too advanced and is being narrowed), and a goose down (100 gram) travel sportcoat at $152.
“We’ve gotten great reaction (and orders) from many upscale stores,” Moresco maintains. “I’m very excited about the possibilities.”