In 1972, Italian fashion designer Stefano Ricci opened the doors to his small factory, which produced only ties and shirts. Today, Stefano Ricci has multiple lines and collections. The brand is internationally renowned for its impressive heritage and strong ties to Stefano Ricci’s homeland, Italy. With 54 boutiques throughout the world, as well as prominent placement in leading luxury stores, such as Harrods in London, Stefano Ricci has come a long way from its humble roots.
In 1993, the brand celebrated its 20th anniversary by opening its first boutique in Shanghai. Stefano Ricci has since expanded not only its locations, but also its product lines. The first expansion encompassed small leather goods. Later, Ricci debuted lines of footwear, jackets, sportswear and knitwear in cashmere and silk. Every step forward has strengthened Stefano Ricci’s success.
Despite the growth of the brand, Stefano Ricci still plays an integral part in his company. He defines himself as a true designer and is an expert in the technical mechanics of all of his products. Ricci spends his days at his desk exploring new production techniques with his team. He works diligently to improve his products, choose the right suppliers and create new and innovative designs.
The Stefano Ricci brand has many differentiating qualities that make it standout in a world of fashion designers, but one standout virtue is Ricci’s resolve to keep his production in Italy. In addition to his designers, he has assembled a team of native craftsmen to create watches, jewelry, cufflinks and bag closures in true Italian fashion. These unique touches add an extra demission of authentic richness to the Ricci lines.
In an effort to continue this tradition, five years ago Ricci created an apprenticeship program, welcoming novices to work closely with master craftsmen with more than 20 years of experience in order to teach the new recruits about cutting lines, creating seams and all other facets of the craft. This program guarantees Ricci’s production will continue at its highest levels of craftsmanship for years to come.
In 2011, Stefano Ricci launched a bespoke line, which works with 15 tailors who handcraft each piece. This custom tailoring allows Ricci to ensure the characteristics of his products, as well as complete quality control from the beginning to the end of the production cycle.
Ricci’s sons Niccolò and Filippo have now joined the team. Ricci named Filippo creative director. In this role, Filippo devoted himself to the development of several new lines and products. One of Filippo’s first additions was the Royal Suite Collection, which showcases Stefano Ricci’s style in home elements such as dishes, cutlery, glasses and accessories. He also introduced an animal line
that embraces crystal, porcelain, silver and ceramic, reminiscent of Florentine Masters. As with other Ricci lines, everything is made in house.
The Luxury Yacht Division was created next and allows yacht owners to outfit their yachts with high-end luxury products from the Ricci line. Additionally, Antico Setificio Fiorentino also created decor line featuring one-of-a-kind items crafted in Florence exclusively for luxury properties such as villas in the Cote d’Azur or lofts in London.
Most recently, Stefano Ricci has created the Menswear Campaign collection. This collection offers elegant apparel for outdoor activities such as hunting, hiking and adventurous travel. Now, in its second season, the Ski Collection has been added to the line to offer clients exceptionally styled ski attire that will transition beautifully from the slopes to cocktails or dinner at resorts inSt. Moritz or Aspen.
In order to create clothing functional for snowsports, Ricci teamed up with an Italian outdoor production company to design the technical aspects of the items in the line, ensuring their durability while skiing or snowboarding. The collection is comfortable, practical and stylish, exuding the modern Italian chic that Ricci is famous for.
Stefano Ricci has made great strides since opening the doors of his small factory in the 70s. Throughout the decades, no matter where he’s been or where he’s going, he has remained true to his ethos of Italian-designed-and-crafted menswear.
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