CANALI: DISCREET, REFINED MENSWEAR
Inside the go-to label for politicians, royalty, movie stars and discerning logo-phobes
Inside
the go-to label for politicians, royalty, movie stars and discerning logo-phobes
Elisabetta Canali dislikes talking about herself.
While her self-professed shyness comes as a surprise given her media-focused
role, the trait corresponds with Canali’s image as a luxury brand: a bastion of
Italian tailoring, it has become a byword for discreet, polished and impeccably
refined menswear. Elisabetta herself is softly spoken and graceful; she refers
to her team as a second family.
“I don’t like to work with too many
people,” she says with a gentle Milanese lilt. “Just a few, but the
best.”
Founded in 1934 by Elisabetta’s grandfather Giovanni
and his brother Giacomo, Canali has been
a
go-to label for politicians, royalty, movie stars and discerning logo-phobes
for decades. Barack Obama wore one of its suits following his election as US
President in November 2008; Michael Douglas has starred in the brand’s
campaigns, while George Clooney is an honorary Canali signore, choosing the
label for the red-carpet circuit as well as his speedboat jaunts on Lake Como.
Now in her forties, Elisabetta joined the family
business at the age of 27. Two brothers, one sister and three cousins occupy
key senior roles within the company, but hers is by far the most hands-on in
terms of image and aesthetic output. “I knew I wanted to work in the creative
field, but I needed to balance this with a rational side,” she explains.
Her answer was to study law in Milan before
embarking on her career as the company’s spearhead. “My studies opened my
mind, helping me understand that there are always rational and irrational
aspects to life. I was passionate about law, perhaps because of my interest in
equality and freedom of rights.”
Elisabetta’s message is far from spiritual; her
aptitude for diplomacy and negotiation
has
presumably served as a trump card in what continues to be a male-dominated
industry.
She certainly
doesn’t suffer fools gladly: “For me, first impressions are everything. I
must
feel comfortable with
the people I work with. It doesn’t matter if they are extremely good;
I cannot work with them if I don’t have a kind
of – how to describe – skin feeling,” she
explains, unaware of her charming, Italian-spun solecism.
Her entry into the family business was not
altogether smooth. She admits she was reticent to return to Italy – at her
father’s suggestion – after an “amazing” year away in New York as
a law graduate. “It was an incredible
challenge, because when I started [at Canali] it was just myself in the
department.”
Today, she heads an 18-strong team of coordinating
staff, based across three continents. While strategies have changed
dramatically to accommodate the brand’s unbridled global expansion – it
currently has 250 boutiques worldwide – heritage has remained Canali’s focus.
“We are a tailoring company,” says Elisabetta.
”It is important to underline this aspect. We
don’t want to be anything different. Of course we want to grow up, but we must
keep our identity.”
Canali Milan Flagship Boutique By ‘growing up’, she means embracing modern
silhouettes, dynamic leisure wear and technical advances in fabric development,
which have led to innovations such as the Nuvola (‘cloud’) blazer – it weighs
less than 9oz – and
a
cotton shirting material that uses body heat
to
even out creases.
“Keeping your DNA doesn’t mean you always have
to do the same thing,” says Elisabetta, striking a more serious tone.
“This is completely wrong. You have to evolve with the markets and be
contemporary.”
Elisabetta Canali may come across as reserved and
demure, but she is undaunted when it comes to decision-making. “I love my
job, and I try to push a little further with it,” she explains. “Not
everybody always agrees, but if you think something is right, it is worth
fighting for.”
Source: theweek.co.uk
Canali Boutique Vietnam
Address: 63 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Phone: 024.32011592
