This time we meet to discover a House still little known to the general public, although famous in Italy for its incredible fabrics. First, a little history to learn more about the family business, then we will see the materials that make the brand famous. We will end with something concrete, since I will present to you a very particular sweater...
The story of Loro Piana, a family business
Loro Piana has been a family story for more than 6 generations. Initially, the family sold woolen fabrics , before creating the Lanificio Fratelli Lora e Compagnia in the second half of the 19th century, specialized in the creation of woolens. It was not until 1924 and Pietro Loro Piana that the company we know today was born.
For decades, with great integrity, the artisans of the small Italian company developed and perfected the know-how of their workshops... pushed by a dynasty of men who understood that quality is something that is built and cultivated over time, with patience and rigor... History has shown many times that certain discoveries can occur through pure serendipity!
In the 1940s, Franco Loro Piana decided to internationalize the House of his ancestors, and began to sell his fabrics throughout the world, to other houses wishing to work with very high quality fabrics. Today, Sergio and Pier Luigi Loro Piana are taking over with a more expensive vision of their brand, while ensuring that they maintain the innovative dynamic in which it is part.
Sergio and Pier Luigi Loro Piana.
Between them, they notably enabled the House to become the producer of the most exclusive materials in the world, while choosing sobriety.
Combining refinement and practicality, the Loro Piana style includes leather jackets lined with fur, cotton and cashmere pants, and silk polo shirts. No or very little logo, no eccentricity, just enough precision for an elegant and very comfortable wardrobe: everything is based on the enhancement of wools, cashmeres, skins...
The Loro Piana style par excellence, combining relaxation and refinement.
We are faced with a fairly unique business model, increasingly rare, a paragon of entirely vertical integration of production , from animal breeding to distribution, obviously including weaving and tailoring.
As the company grew, the family always chose to internalize the manufacturing of clothing without relying on outside suppliers, which goes against the prevailing dogma of outsourcing.
This strategic vision of the company consisting of controlling production to ensure the best possible quality remains today supported by an irrefutable argument: the satisfaction of an extremely demanding clientele, diametrically opposed to those consuming logos and social status.
Quality control is meticulous and drastic... luxury obliges!
If the story remains family, the company was recently bought by LVMH owning Dior, Givenchy or... Berluti, whose maintenance of quality standards has been called into question, in particular by the specialist Hugo Jacomet of Parisian Gentlemen .
Note from Geoffrey: You only have to visit Berluti on the Champs-Elysées to understand. The premises were those of the venerable Maison Arnys, also bought by LVMH, and of which only the historic building and the production tools ultimately remain. As for the locals, the very unfriendly (euphemism) saleswoman quickly makes you understand that she has better things to do with the wealthy Chinese and Dubai customers a few steps from you, and that it would be cool if you would hurry up and leave.
I am the first to have a certain distrust towards luxury because, like you, I note that certain products no longer live up to the reputation of their brand... nor their price.
The very definition of luxury has sometimes been emptied of its meaning following certain abuses, which Dana Thomas - Fashion journalist - crystallizes perfectly in a few lines in her book Luxury & co, how brands have killed luxury? :
How could luxury brands significantly reduce the production costs of their products, while maintaining the same level of quality? In fact, it was impossible. Concessions had to be made. In the name of profit - or, to put it bluntly, greed - luxury brands put their integrity at risk.
Given the level to which Maison Loro Piana has managed to rise, it remains to be hoped that, as Antoine Arnault (President of the brand) said, "growth in turnover is not the priority objective" .
Exceptional skin texture and quality, leather interior pockets, cashmere lining, fur-lined collars... Sumptuous details and noble materials.
Today, Maison Loro Piana is one of the very few to really make (me) dream. Her clothes reveal the passion of men and women, passed down from generation to generation.
Some "productivity paradises" are capable of reproducing good quality, that's indisputable, but French or Italian workshops - such as those of the Loro Piana family - remain the authors of an incalculable number of techniques of all kinds ( weaving, embroidery, design...), and the guardians of know-how built over the centuries. Let's give back to Caesar what is Caesar's!
Beyond the inanity of marketing speeches abusing the lexical field of “know-how” there are still very nice things hidden . Perhaps you have already had the chance to “feel an emotion” by touching an object whose “soul” you perceived: a magnificent leather coat or a pair of sumptuous shoes, for example.
So, we feel through the product all the investment and attention given by the craftsman to his work, and it is truly something unique!
Embroidery is one of those crafts requiring immense patience, precision and know-how. Long-term work for enthusiasts!
If I want to share this with you, it is because an immarcescible version of luxury remains: thanks to what the Loro Piana dynasty of excellent craftsmen was able to build, without ever favoring cost reduction over of the final quality of the product, it is, until today, a fine example of true luxury .
The flagship fabrics of the Loro Piana house
I suggest you now get to the heart of the matter! Because if Maison Loro Piana is confidential, it nonetheless remains an impressive innovation laboratory. There are indeed unique materials in the world, requiring years of research and development to be able to be exploited ... and it always started with travel.
Baby cashmere
This little goat is as adorable as its down is noble.
Everyone knows cashmere, a soft material with exceptional thermal properties. The Italian brand has also developed a technique called StormSystem®, making cashmere waterproof!
On the other hand, there are few connoisseurs of “baby cashmere”, a wonderful fiber whose exploitation was introduced by the Loro Piana family .
They had to go as far as Mongolia, where they were amazed by the coat of capra hyrcus kids, living in very harsh conditions. Barely palpable, the fine down used to regulate the temperature of these little creatures during the first months of their life had never been exploited, its incomparable fineness making its handling difficult: 13 microns for baby cashmere, 14.5 for finest known cashmere.
In order to harvest the precious wool, the little kids must be combed between 3 months and a year after their birth, the harvest can only take place once in the life of an individual.
Each will “only” offer a maximum of 30 grams of usable fiber! To make a single sweater, you will have to collect the “treasure” of around twenty baby hyrcus . The words “exclusive” and “rare” take on their full meaning here…
The weaving is carried out in Italy, as is the dyeing and final assembly of the clothes. Many operations are carried out by hand, in order to guarantee optimal quality and great respect for this “ supercashmere ”. Go a little further down to talk in more detail about a baby cashmere sweater.
It is thanks to this type of comb that we can harvest the fiber used to make baby cashmere.
The vicuña
Even in photos, we perceive the extreme softness of vicuña fur. The contours appear almost blurred due to the fineness of the fibers.
This cousin of the llama made a name for itself a few years ago, when it was on the verge of extinction: 5,000 animals at the end of the 20th century, compared to 3 million in the 15th century ... It lives mainly in Argentina and Peru, mountainous countries in which communities of breeders of these camelids are located, are also threatened in turn by the disappearance of this species.
Note from Geoffrey: The vicuña is a cousin of the llama which has never been domesticated with this success. Since breeding is impossible, this wool can only be obtained by maintaining wild populations in semi-freedom, with exorbitant costs.
Vicuna wool is exceptionally soft, even rarer than baby cashmere... and costs 8 to 10 times more expensive to produce than cashmere! But Sergio Loro Piana, one of the weaver's heirs, was keen to work with the vicuna: " My father had developed a manufacturing technique in the 1960s, so it is very important for us, even if the impact on our figure business is insignificant .
In addition to producing an absolutely exceptional material, the company wanted to create a nature reserve to perpetuate the species and local populations . This respect and proximity to nature make this fair mode of production almost obvious, even though it is rare today. And finally, this adds even more value to this ultra-luxurious material!
The incomparable texture of vicuña...
The lotus flower
From flower to fiber...
Beyond animals providing extraordinary skins and wool, flora also has many unsuspected resources... like the lotus! It grows in particular in Burma, on the magnificent Inle Lake. There are still a few houses on stilts with thatched roofs all around, inside which women who hold ancestral know-how live.
Thanks to their knowledge of the aquatic plant, and to weaving looms that cannot be found anywhere else, they are capable of harvesting an extremely fine fiber from the stem of the lotus: it will be necessary to break and separate the stem, then roll the small filaments inside by hand .
This is a complex and extremely long operation, since more than 2,000 stems must be processed to obtain only one meter of fabric. Monthly production is around 50 meters per month , and is purchased in advance at a fair price, to ensure the sustainability of this sector until the end.
But how can we explain such enthusiasm for this rare material, initially reserved for making ceremonial robes for monks? The answer lies in its extreme finesse, its lightness, and its incomparable ability to keep the wearer cool .
Once again, behind an apparent simplicity hides incredible qualities; all contained in a flower, but also in the story of these women. The fiber is particularly suitable for creating jackets or stoles.
A texture apparently close to that of linen, in reality much lighter and more luxurious.
“The gift of kings”
Australian merino has exceptional fiber.
In the 18th century, the King of Spain had the habit of offering neighboring crowns merino wool, this material at the time very rare... It was then known under the name "gift of kings", for its exclusivity and nobility.
Using sheep from Australia and New Zealand, the House has managed to use a merino wool fiber that is only 12 microns thick , i.e. extremely fine and exclusive merino wool . This places the material just ahead of cashmere in terms of fineness, and at the level of vicuña… This exceptional wool recently gave birth to a dedicated line, “The Gift of Kings”, for the moment exclusively for men.
Finally, please note that, every year, Maison Loro Piana also organizes a competition for the finest ball of wool, the Loro Piana Record Bale Prize. Two breeders compete for this prize which rewards the finest wool in the world. This time, the Australian breeders from Pyrenees Park narrowly won against the New Zealanders from Visulea, producing an 11 micron ball . Loro Piana will use this precious fiber to create 40 tailor-made suits for its privileged customers. This type of permanent and above all quite unique collaboration between Loro Piana and wool producers makes it possible to constantly improve the level of excellence.
The cozy interior of a Loro Piana boutique.
I can assure you that after spending a moment in a Loro Piana boutique, being able to touch and “admire” the quality and nobility of the pieces they offer, everything you have seen before seems very bland...
Fortunately, as I said, some Houses still have this deep desire to make people dream, and to constantly seek out new materials, or new ways of working with them.
The general sobriety of the lines offered allows the unparalleled valorization of these exceptional wools. And to illustrate it, I'm going to present to you a polo collar sweater in baby cashmere!
Presentation of the polo collar sweater
Today, the labels no longer feature the green and red colors of the coat of arms. FYI, as is often done in luxury goods, the small size label is sewn under the brand label, for more "discretion"...
I've had this sweater for about a year, and have worn it on various occasions: its very simple look allows you to wear it with dark jeans, with sheepskin leather and sneakers; or with suit pants, a pair of Oxfords and a trench coat, for a much more formal look.
The polo collar is particularly suited to this hybridity, but I am not objective: I love polo shirts and never wear t-shirts, except for sports!
Beyond the choice made in terms of style, many people focus on the fluffy and impeccable appearance of this piece. Contact with the skin is well worth that of silk (which you hardly feel) thanks to this typical softness.
In the sun, the silky and fluffy appearance of baby cashmere captures the light in a particular way...
Baby cashmere is also highly recommended for its insulating and, above all, absorbent properties. Indeed, it can happen that you break out in a sweat (even in winter), and it is VERY nice not to feel damp, not to smell of perspiration (cashmere, like many wools, is anti-bacterial ), but also not to have a halo!
In fact, the fiber is made up of a kind of small scales (cuticles) which open to drain and trap water: nature has beautiful gifts in store.
Seen under a microscope, the fiber reveals these famous cuticles, capable of opening to absorb water.
In terms of maintenance, the label authorizes machine washing at 30°. But for safety, and frankly for pleasure, I wash it by hand with a little bit of wool detergent, I squeeze it very lightly without twisting it in a towel, and let it dry flat.
The first thing that struck me was the smell: in general, cashmere and wool have a strong smell when wet, and definitely not pleasant. There, without saying that it was as pleasant as perfume, the wool gave off a much lighter smell!
A very simple cut, with beautiful shades of color.
The cut itself is straight, adjusted at the waist and sleeves with perfectly made ribbing. It is a model that can be worn slightly "loose" in terms of fitting.
It makes almost no creases in the places where the mesh tightens, and tightens perfectly and regularly! This is a very good point, because there is nothing worse than a ribbed edge that relaxes without recovering its initial tension afterwards.
Regular, twist-free ribbed edges, despite wearing.
The armholes are perfectly regular, without any small bump or unsightly volume, as we can sometimes see.
The same goes for the seams on the sides, almost invisible to the naked eye: the fluffy appearance of the material blurs the contours of the seam, which are also imperceptible inside when worn. Notice in passing the regularity of the weave, very tight and homogeneous.
The armhole is clean, and the curve of the shoulder barely reveals the joint at the sleeve head.
The button placket is also impeccable, the buttonholes being finely topstitched to ensure their robustness: until now, I have yet to have a small thread that has given way, or anything else. You will notice the real mother-of-pearl buttons - of course - in this regard selected for their shade close to that of the sweater. They are engraved "Loro Piana", but this tiny claw is the only one "visible" from the outside.
From near and far, nothing to say... except perhaps the middle button, having turned a little from buttoning/unbuttoning. Just place it back gently.
The collar caught my attention during the purchase, because of its great clarity: despite its good thickness allowing it to hold perfectly, the seams draw the points with great precision, which gives a very clean finish to the sweater.
I still have a 3-day beard, and surprisingly enough, the collar hardly suffers from it! Needless to say, the feeling of baby cashmere on your neck is pleasant.
The point is clean, and you can see by looking at the edge of the collar that the work is regular and very careful!
No criticism then? In all objectivity, no, really none... Are the Piana artisans miracle workers? I must say that each wear gives me the same pleasure, and the more I wear it, the softer I feel it becomes. This is a piece that I will keep for a very long time. Isn't that the definition of luxury?
