Taste of Life Hellas 2018-19

Stefano Ricci 先 生 和 他 的 兩 個 兒 子 Niccolò Ricci( 右 )
和 Filippo Ricci( 左 )。Niccolò 是 公 司 CEO,Filippo 則
是 公 司 的 創 意 總 監 。
Stefano Ricci S.p.A. is truly a family affair — Filippo
as creative director (left), Stefano, patriarch and lead
designer (centre), and Niccolò (right), CEO.
most natural, precise fit. From exquisite fabrics of cashmere,
wool, and silk, to 186 production steps all graced by the hands
of master artisans — the quality, comfort and look of a Stefano
Ricci bespoke suit can’t be matched by a machine.
“What can be done in one minute with machine, with technology,
is done in four to five hours by hand,” Ricci says.
As demand continued to grow for Stefano Ricci clothing and
accessories, in 1993, Ricci opened his first monobrand boutique
in Shanghai — a bold choice at the time.
“Twenty-three years ago, nobody really expected what China
would be,” says Ricci. On a previous visit to China, Ricci saw
something that other entrepreneurs might have missed. “I was
looking at the way the young generation was moving, walking,
the energy of the eyes.”
The Chinese embraced the Stefano Ricci brand, even though
ties cost an equivalent of four months salary for a well-off Chinese.
Ricci’s sons, Niccolò and Filippo, saw huge potential in the
brand’s artisanal heritage, and bit by bit, with their
marketing savvy, Stefano Ricci opened a total of 52
boutiques internationally, from Dubai to Beverly Hills
to recently, the flagship store in Vancouver, Canada’s
first. Ricci personally designed every boutique himself,
each 100 percent made by Florentine craftsmen.
Staying true to the soul of the brand, Niccolò and
Filippo came across a business opportunity that was
less about economics and more of a responsibility to
their heritage. The speed and cheap cost of modern
industrial production were putting artisanal textile
mills out of business, including the legendary silk
mill Antico Setificio Fiorentino, which had been
producing fabrics for royalty since 1786.
In 2010, from the Pucci family, Stefano Ricci S.p.A. bought
Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a magical place that truly takes you
back in time. The ancient mill is tucked away along an alley, not
at all where you’d expect to find the production of Europe’s finest,
most expensive handmade silks, costing 2,000 euros per metre.
When you open the iron gate and walk towards the burnt-red
front door, you can faintly hear a rhythmic thumping and clicking
from the 17th and 18th century semi-automatic looms, singing
like an orchestrated symphony. Inside the historic mill, master
weavers line the walls working on ancient wooden looms, as one
lady in the corner patiently uses a warper designed by Leonardo
da Vinci himself, with his sketches still hanging on the wall.
“I really feel very lucky to make some contribution to the
preservation of these traditional crafts,” Ricci says, happy yet still
humbled by his role in history, a legacy and heritage he wants to
preserve and pass on. “Now is the moment to think about the
future. Stefano Ricci and the approach to quality is something
for the new generation, the young generation.”