BOGLIOLI’s Past, Present, and Future
FASHION / FEATURES
March 12, 2015

BOGLIOLI’s Past, Present, and Future


BOGLIOLI


A Liberal and Flexible Mind Sets a Groundbreaking Standard


BOGLIOLI’s Past, Present, and Future


The work of a sartorialist with an established reputation was inherited by his son and grandsons, and the business expanded globally. Eventually, BOGLIOLI became a prestigious fashion house with over a century of experience. Looking back at its history, we explore BOGLIOLI’s past, present, and future vision.






Text by IKEDA YasuyukiPhoto cooperation by BOGLIOLIPhoto by YOSHIZAWA KentaTranslation by NAKAMURA Akiko





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Classical Origins Transformed by Innovation



The Boglioli lineage spans three generations. The founder, Mario Boglioli, began his career as a sartorialist in the early 20th century. By the time of World War I, he had already gained widespread renown for his exceptional tailoring skills. He would visit clients to take measurements, foregoing his own shop, which was the common practice for tailors then.

Mario’s son, Giuseppe, followed in his father’s footsteps but transformed their atelier into a factory, rather than merely continuing as a sartorialist. He strove to establish an unconventional sartorial business that combined manufacturing with bespoke tailoring services by inviting numerous tailors and providing them with workspaces.

Subsequently, Giuseppe’s three sons took the helm of the factory as his successors, and the business began to expand further. The factory matured into a company. The former BOGLIOLI was known as Lucas Moda and developed into a quintessential fashion merchandising and manufacturing company that continues to produce high-quality tailored jackets to this day.

In the 1990s, they released a jacket called the Coat, which became an overnight sensation. It was a lightweight cotton jacket treated with the groundbreaking dyeing technique known as “tinto in capo,” giving it the appearance and feel of being gently worn. The youngest brother and current designer, Pier Luigi Boglioli, also known as Gigi, reflects on the creation of this classic as follows:

“At that time, washed-out shirts, denims, and trousers were fashionable. So I thought, why not jackets? However, it didn’t work to design orthodox constructed jackets to achieve the texture of worn-in clothes, and “senza spallina” (tailoring without shoulder padding) was the solution.”


BOGLIOLI 01


BOGLIOLI 02




The Times Have Caught Up with BOGLIOLI



Following the release of the Coat, BOGLIOLI established an unshakeable position in the domestic industry and continued its success. They boldly attempted to apply the same treatment to luxury cashmere jackets as they had to the Coat, leading to the birth of their masterpiece, the K. jacket. This K. jacket marked BOGLIOLI’s international debut in 2003, by which time their reputation had already reached Japan.

However, the essence of BOGLIOLI had not entirely permeated the Far East, and Japanese consumers seemed to perceive BOGLIOLI as merely a trendy classic label at the time. Most retailers initially favored the more conservative, well-constructed Hampton over the K. jacket.

Nevertheless, once people recognized the authenticity of their products, BOGLIOLI surpassed all others. Its popularity surged when they introduced the Dover in 2008, followed by a fever for the Wight in 2010. The subsequent craze has kept BOGLIOLI a cut above the rest in the otherwise stagnating men’s fashion industry for the past few years.

They are expanding their lineup beyond these popular models. Each boom was not merely a one-off event; it could be called a revolution. Many other labels have attempted to emulate their success by producing similar jackets without canvas or shoulder padding. BOGLIOLI, however, would never be satisfied with simply mass-producing these bestsellers. Since 2008, the collection has been broadened to include shirts, knitwear, and trousers to complement the jackets for a complete look. They have even decided to discontinue the company’s mainstay, the Wight, next season.

BOGLIOLI 03

BOGLIOLI has appointed Roberto Falchi, who previously worked for Christian Dior and Prada, to its board and is already targeting new markets. They have extended their bespoke tailoring service to manufacturing and grown into a high-end fashion house. Yet, they remain poised for further positive change. BOGLIOLI is in motion.

The iconic BOGLIOLI company book represents that BOGLIOLI is more than just a traditional sartorialist. Beautiful green is BOGLIOLI’s corporate color. They own the most advanced factory, and its presentation is full of artistic flair. BOGLIOLI creates not only clothing but also benchmarks for men’s fashion of the era. The upcoming interview with Pier Luigi in volume 4 will reveal further details. You will surely savor the BOGLIOLI world even more.




Mario Boglioli

BOGLIOLI CEO
Mario Boglioli

Pierluigi Boglioli

BOGLIOLI Designer
Pierluigi Boglioli







BUYER'S RECOMMENDATION OF BOGLIOLI!



“Generally speaking, classical fashion houses are not particularly adept at keeping up with new trends. In that sense, I would say BOGLIOLI has the edge. It evolves, sustains, and never sets a limit. Their attitude is far from the typical Italian easy-goingness. In fact, the production of the K. jacket with “tinto in capo” involves complicated processes, such as washing the jackets while they are still half-finished and then lining the sleeves after they have dried for the final finish. They go to this trouble simply because it makes the jackets comfortable to wear. They also dare to plan to drop the Wight from the next season, even though it is currently the company’s mainstay. When ISETAN proposed a collaboration, they were amused and happy to accept. Surprisingly, they had never done limited editions with anyone before, but I suppose they simply never needed to due to their own striking lineups. They are neither stubborn craftsmen nor merely canny manufacturers. Their willingness to adopt new ideas is one of BOGLIOLI’s appeals.”


EI Kanefuji



Ei Kanefuji
Buyer for ISETAN Shinjuku

Ei Kanefuji has worked as a buyer for ISETAN, one of Japan's most upscale department stores, since 2002. He possesses extensive knowledge of the classic labels featured on ISETAN Men’s fifth floor. His in-depth analysis of contemporary men’s fashion is informed by his diverse experience in introducing new trends while catering to every customer's needs within a department store setting.



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