Despite the uncertain economic situation, the Italian menswear label Antony Morato is optimistic about the current year. At the Pitti Uomo men’s fashion fair in Florence, the fashion company founded in 2007 near Naples presented its SS23 collection, which is inspired by travel and the European metropolises from London to Berlin.
In an interview, founder and managing director Lello Cardarelli talks about his expectations for 2022 and trends in men’s fashion.
How have you had to change as a fashion company since the pandemic?
With the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to fundamentally rethink our business model, accelerate the digitization process and push online sales. We also needed to streamline our spending and optimize investments. Our company has definitely improved post Covid and become more efficient.
How has business been since the pandemic began?
2021 was a good year for us, we posted a 21 percent increase over 2020, but 2022 is going even better. We ended the first quarter with growth of 22.3 percent and achieved sales of 23.6 million euros. Things will be even better in these months and we assume that we will close this year with 80 million euros.
What trends and bestsellers do you see for men’s fashion in the future?
For this first part of the year our strongest trend is ‘formal fashion’ and I believe it will continue to be so for the rest of the year. With events and public occasions resuming and our customers finally attending again, suits are sure to be big sellers in 2022.
Which markets are important or have lost importance during the pandemic?
During the pandemic we have suffered in all of our main markets: Italy and Europe. As we enter 2021, we have slowly recovered, solidifying our positions in Europe and strengthening our business in three key regions outside the EU such as India, South Africa and Latin America, which are now picking up again and becoming increasingly important to our earnings.
What are your expectations for this year?
With the positive results we’ve seen every month since the beginning of this year, our expectations have risen. I expect very good results and, apart from Covid, I wish myself and my team to have a positive time with less tension in running the company.
What are your biggest concerns? From consumer sentiment to inflation to the supply chain, there are a number of concerns that fashion companies are concerned with.
only the war. We’ll deal with the rest.
Did you raise the prices and by how much?
Our FW 22-23 collection is 10 percent more expensive than the FW 21-22 collection, this will be more or less the same for SS23.
The interview was conducted in written form.