Cruciani is focused on refining the product, tailoring capsule collections for customers in resort towns such as St. Moritz and Forte dei Marmi, and consolidating in the Asian and US markets.
Bruno Savio, Chairman of the Umbrian knitwear manufacturer Maglital, explained to FashionUnited the company’s refined strategy behind the Cruciani brand. In March 2022, the British Orlean Invest Holding, headed by founder and chairman Gabriele Volpi, took full control of Maglital.
Cruciani will also produce for third parties
The brand employs 45 people and wants to further expand its “non-explicit production capacities,” says Savio, who also wants to produce for third parties. In 2024, the company will also set up its own online store.
Sales figures were not given, but the brand’s sales by 2023 are said to have doubled. Two thirds come from the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Russia and its neighboring countries. The company has recently strengthened its sales structure in Italy and initiated a management restructuring to prepare for the new strategic growth phase: Savio’s appointment is part of this strategy.
In addition, sales manager Riccardo Antonioni, who ended his mandate at the end of December, was replaced by a business-to-business team based in Milan. The marketing functions are now managed directly by resources within the Orlean Invest Holding group, while the commercial side has been strengthened by a new sales team coordinated from the Milan office.
The company invests in its products and “even uses old knitters to maintain the craft tradition in the company.” The aim is to strengthen the brand’s DNA and give it a sophisticated twist. The brand has designed a fall/winter collection for 2024 inspired by the spirit of high-altitude resorts such as St. Moritz. Garments in the collection were designed for Apŕes skiing and are in the gauge range three to five.
Presented at the Florentine men’s fashion fair Pitti Uomo, the collection for the coming autumn/winter combines innovation and fashion excellence with an evolving lifestyle concept in which contemporary inspirations alternate with homages to the art world.
The label puts the late ’80s and early ’90s at the center of its aesthetic vision by incorporating striking volumes and macro motifs. The outerwear has sophisticated but essential shapes. The knitwear for which the brand is known shows eccentric influences, with a focus on cashmere as well as fine wool and silk. Nuances such as stucco, clay, loden green and powder blue with bright accents form the color palette of the collection.
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.it. Translated and edited by Heide Halama.