Corneliani is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

menswear Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion ind ...

manufacturer best known for its suits and

sportcoat A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabric ...

s. The company distributes its products in over 70 countries worldwide through multi-brand stores and around 90 single-brand boutiques; Corneliani also manufactures and delivers

made-to-measure Made-to-measure (MTM) typically refers to custom clothing that is cut and sewn using a standard-sized base pattern. Suits and sport coats are the most common garments made-to-measure. The fit of a made-to-measure garment is expected to be superio ...

suits worldwide. Its

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...

in 2017 was €110 million. Corneliani has been 55%-owned by

Investcorp Investcorp is a global manager of alternative investment products, for private and institutional clients. Founded in Bahrain in 1982, the firm has offices in United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, China, ...

since 2016.

History

The family-owned firm stretches back to the 1930s when Alfredo Corneliani, set up a craft business making

raincoat A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with ...

s and coats, which was then put on hold due to the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Alfredo's sons Claudio and Carlalberto later set up Corneliani S.p.A. in

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...

in 1958. In 1985 the company set up Corneliani USA Inc. in New York to distribute its ranges throughout the US and Canada. In 1997 Corneliani opened its flagship store in

Via Montenapoleone Via Monte Napoleone, also spelled Via Montenapoleone, is an upscale shopping street in Milan, Italy, Europe's most expensive street (2022) and the third most expensive street in the world . It is famous for its ready-to-wear fashion and jewelry sho ...

, in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. In 2005 Corneliani received the Leonardo Prize for Quality, awarded by the

President of Italy The president of Italy, officially denoted as president of the Italian Republic ( it, Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity, and guarantees that Italian poli ...

to Italian companies which promote Italian-made goods. In 2008 Corneliani opened a mono-brand boutique on

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

’s

New Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

. In 2012 Corneliani Shanghai Ltd was founded and in 2013 a directly-owned

flagship store A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

was opened. Today, Corneliani employs 600 tailors, seamstresses and pattern makers in Mantua, which is still where its core products are made. In 2014,

Bill de Blasio Bill de Blasio (; born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961; later Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm) is an American politician who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New Yor ...

gave his inaugural speech as mayor of New York in a Corneliani suit, and the tenor

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

got married in Corneliani suit. In June 2016, the

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

-based investment group

acquired a 55% stake in Corneliani from the company's family members for $50 million, valuing the company around $100 million. Following this purchase, Carlalberto Corneliani stepped down as CEO of the company. In July 2018, Corneliani opened an online retail store in the United States. In November 2018, Luigi Ferrando replaced Paolo Roviera as CEO of the company. In December 2019, Giorgio Brandazza was appointed CEO of Corneliani. In January 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic negatively affected the company's sales, the Italian Ministry for Economic Development allowed it to keep running until April 15 until a new investor would be found. The Corneliani family still holds 20% of the company.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Fashion, Italy, Companies Italian companies established in 1930 Clothing brands of Italy Clothing companies established in 1930 Italian suit makers Fashion accessory brands High fashion brands Luxury brands Altagamma members Menswear designers Privately held companies of Italy Design companies established in 1930 Companies based in Mantua