BARNEYS NEW YORK | A Blissful Relationship with BOGLIOLI

BARNEYS NEW YORK

Boglioli Chairman and CEO Visit Japan for Event!

The Intimate Relationship Between Barneys New York and Boglioli

BARNEYS NEW YORKThe Ginza store celebrated its 7th anniversary this October. To commemorate, several special events were held from the 7th to the 10th, including a talk show and a pop-up store. Here, we focus on Boglioli, a brand that holds special significance for Barneys New York. To coincide with the event, Chairman Mario Boglioli visited Japan. This is a rare occurrence. We took the opportunity to ask him various questions.

Text by OPENERSPhoto by BARNEYS NEW YORK, Gotaro Hosomura

The Genesis of Boglioli's Presence in Japan

Boglioli has been selling exceptionally well in recent years. It turns out that its introduction to Japan was thanks to Mr. Ryo Sano, a renowned buyer at Barneys New York. Mr. Sano's sharp aesthetic sense brought us this good news. Unstructured jackets, exemplified by the Dover, are now commonplace, but they were revolutionary when they first appeared.

Boglioli is a classical factory maison with a history dating back to the late 1800s. While operating a machine-made mass production system, they incorporate the craftsmanship of sartoria into their manufacturing. Their innovation began with the K jacket, introduced in 2003. This was a 100% cashmere jacket that underwent garment dyeing. This marked the beginning of Boglioli's successful run, championing modern classics.

It is no exaggeration to say that Boglioli pioneered the trend of unstructured shoulders, slim fits, and shorter lengths. Their soft jackets, which are both basic and contemporary, had a profound impact on subsequent menswear fashion, truly marking an epoch. Indeed, Dover, which appeared after the K jacket, became a massive hit.

Naturally, Dover is also popular at Barneys New York. With this history, Barneys New York and Boglioli maintain a truly trusting and intimate relationship. This time, they have also created a collaboration jacket with Color to support earthquake relief efforts, which has garnered attention.

Boglioli Chairman Mario Boglioli Also Attended the 7th Anniversary Event!

The Barneys New York Ginza store celebrated its 7th anniversary this October. An anniversary event was held from October 7th to 10th. Boglioli set up a pop-up store there. Chairman Mario and CEO Falchi themselves offered personalized styling advice, making it a special occasion.

Furthermore, as a testament to the intimate relationship between the two, the opening of Barneys New York Fukuoka store on September 16th in Tenjin is also noteworthy. The store occupies the B1 to 3rd floors of "Solaria Plaza" in the heart of Tenjin, marking Barneys New York's first foray into Kyushu. And remarkably, Boglioli chose the Barneys New York Fukuoka store as the location with the largest selection in the Kyushu region. This clearly demonstrates their mutual trust.

You will undoubtedly gain further insight by hearing from Boglioli Chairman, Mr. Mario Boglioli, below.

Interview with Boglioli Chairman Mario Boglioli

I am deeply honored by this event. We are very pleased to be able to collaborate with Barneys New York. I hope we can engage in more collaborations in the future. Today is a memorable day for that. Barneys was the first to introduce Boglioli to Japan, thanks to buyer Mr. Sano. In that sense, we hold Barneys New York in very high regard.

Fortunately, Boglioli has been well-received and is performing exceptionally well in Japan. We have had a long-standing relationship with Barneys New York, as well as with our distributors. Through this history, we have come to understand what resonates with Japanese customers. The reason for our success, I believe, is that while Italian fashion traditionally featured structured, classic styles, Boglioli proposed a relaxed and comfortable fit, which proved to be a perfect match. Now, other Italian manufacturers are also proposing Boglioli's style. We were pioneers in garment dyeing (tint-tinto capo), and we also prioritize fit and thorough material research. Therefore, extensive research has led to this success.

Boglioli's CEO, Roberto Farchi, meticulously controls merchandising and shares information with my brother, the designer Gigi (a nickname for Pierluigi), and the design team. I focus on production and technical research, while Farchi handles the business side. That's how it works. Gigi and his team consider the total look, encompassing jackets, shirts, trousers, and accessories. Our current shipments are around 3.5 billion yen.

For Spring/Summer 2011, we saw a 20% increase, which is a very positive direction. In the near future, we are considering opening a directly managed store in Milan, and we are also planning for directly managed stores or in-store openings within department stores in Japan. Personally, I am fond of the Dover. Although Dover jackets are unstructured and lightweight, they incorporate the results of extensive tailoring research.

In any case, I believe Boglioli and Barneys New York are best partners. The image of Barneys New York in Japan also greatly benefits us. Not only in Tokyo, but Barneys New York holds significant status in Japan, and of course, Boglioli products are also available and popular at the New York stores. Best partners. These words are fitting.