“Whoever runs towards the future while forgetting their past mislays their identity”

“Whoever runs towards the future while forgetting their past mislays their identity”

EVERYDAY LUXURY
EVERYDAY LUXURY

Offering a high quality garment, of excellent workmanship, result of wise handicraft work using exclusively valuable fabrics and yarns, is still the goal of a brand that has always found in the synergy between past, present and future one of its main points of strength. The meticulous care for the product combined with an excellent quality/price ratio allows offering to our clients the possibility to be elegant without spending astonishing figures. Their always successful choice falls on a wide range of garments that allow them to be impeccable in different situations and in various moments of the day.

THE MONOBRAND BOUTIQUE NETWORK STANDS AT THE BASE OF THE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY
THE MONOBRAND BOUTIQUE NETWORK STANDS AT THE BASE OF THE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY

The brand is present on the Italian market with 132 monobrand stores - all directly operated - and more than 45 worldwide. There are also 126 multi-brand Boutiques for the wholesale channel.

LUISA SPAGNOLI
LUISA SPAGNOLI

Luisa Sargentini, known worldwide as Luisa Spagnoli, was born in Perugia on 30th October 1877. Thanks to her extraordinary modern sense and great creativity, she founded two large companies, Perugina and Luisa Spagnoli which had a key role in the industrialisation process of Umbria and Italy. Luisa has advanced women's evolution in the work field by half a century, not only as entrepreneurs but also in the industrial activity.

Luisa creates "Bacio Perugina"
Luisa creates "Bacio Perugina"

At 21 years old, she married Annibale Spagnoli and together with the husband, took over a grocery store at the centre of Perugia. In 1907, the Spagnoli, in partnership with Francesco Buitoni, Leone Ascoli and Francesco Andreani, opened a small confectionary factory with 15 workers in the city historic centre: Perugina. Her great creativity, inventive skills and practical sense led her in 1922 to conceive the famous "Bacio", which became famous worldwide.

Perugina’s successes
Perugina’s successes

Perugina’s successes were the basis for Luisa Spagnoli’s birth, not only because the first highly successful Spagnoli’s enterprise constituted the source of capitals to create the second, but also because it represented for them, an irreplaceable entrepreneurship school.

Luisa Spagnoli’s intuition
Luisa Spagnoli’s intuition

During the late '20s, Luisa began breeding a domestic species in the Garden, never bred systematically in Italy, the Angora rabbit, in order to obtain a yarn to produce clothing. The result was surprising in terms of homogeneity and thinness thanks to the use of traditional techniques and choice of combing instead of shearing to collect the wool. The business in the textile sector which today still carries her name, began in 1928. Luisa Spagnoli’s intuition consisted in using the Angora rabbit wool to create yarns and garments when in Italy this fibre was not popular. Until then, Italian breeders had shown scarce interest in breeding the Angora rabbit. At that time, imported yarn was present in our country which was knitted to produce thick and poor quality clothes. From the first experiments, conducted with the help of female workers “borrowed” from Perugina, using the wool from the family breeding, she created fine quality products in terms of style and fabric features. Spagnoli’s garments were immediately appreciated by Italian and foreign shoppers thanks to the fabric consistency, elegant lines and harmonic colours, who considered them much superior than any other Angora clothing on the market at that time. Thus the foundations were laid for a new and purely Italian activity, aimed at exploiting the valuable characteristics of a national raw material.

Mario Spagnoli
Mario Spagnoli

Upon the premature death of Luisa Spagnoli in 1935, the company leadership was passed on to her son Mario. In 10 years at the head of the company, he was able to diffuse the name and prestige of Luisa Spagnoli on the national and international market, conferring typical industrial characteristics to the business, while retaining the quality requirements and style of a handicraft product, in the clothing production.

The first Luisa Spagnoli store
The first Luisa Spagnoli store

Mario Spagnoli’s ingenious idea consisted in equipping the Enterprise with its own sale network, exclusively dedicated to the sale of its products. The first Luisa Spagnoli store was opened in Perugia in 1940. Other shops were opened in Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples and Milan in the following years, bringing Luisa Spagnoli brand in the main squares and streets of key Italian cities. Through effective advertising, Mario diffused the breeding of the Angora rabbit such to bring the number of Italian breeders to about 20,000 during the early '50s.

Angora City project
Angora City project

He conceived the Angora City project, a model of production efficiency based on satisfying the workers’ needs. From simple production plant, the company, surrounded by employees' dwellings, became a self-sufficient, organised community, featuring welcoming facilities like kindergartens, after-school child care centres, churches, sports and recreational structures. Even if the project was realised only partially, it contributed to strengthen the bond between the company and employees.

Luisa's death in 1935
Luisa's death in 1935

Luisa died in 1935. Her son Mario continued the activity, transforming the business from handicraft to industrial, mainly focusing on diffusing the breeding of the Angora rabbit among rural Umbrian families and then throughout the Country. “Luisa Spagnoli”, founded officially in 1937, soon asserted itself at national and international level thanks to the quality and elegance of its garments.

The company manages to overcome the war crisis
The company manages to overcome the war crisis

On 12th April 1937, the company was registered at the Chamber of Commerce of Perugia as sole proprietorship. In 1943, Angora Spagnoli was recognised as the largest and most modern European industry in its sector: counting on 525 employees and 8000 direct Angora rabbit breedings. In 1944, the company successfully overcame the war crisis, despite the plant was destroyed.

SANTA LUCIA
SANTA LUCIA

Already in 1943, while Fontivegge plant was still in operation, part of the manufacturing was moved to temporary sheds located on the family’s lands in Santa Lucia. The first core of the current facility was built indeed in Santa Lucia between 1945 and 1947, around which the district urbanisation developed. The Company was standing out in its sector at that time, because it was carrying out the entire production cycle from raw material to detailed garment finishing.

LINO SPAGNOLI
LINO SPAGNOLI

In 1953, the company leadership was passed on to Lino Spagnoli, Mario’s son, who consolidated and increased the heritage entrusted to him, by highly focusing on innovation and expanding the sale network. Thanks to his ability to anticipate times and skills in promptly grasping the need for organisational, production and commercial changes, Lino Spagnoli was responsible for the progressive exploitation of all company’s potentials, lying the bases of the current corporate structure. He is attributed the great merit to diffuse an enterprise culture focused on strategy, marketing, distribution and financial management. Thanks to his ability to anticipate times and skills in promptly grasping the need for organisational, production and commercial changes, Lino Spagnoli was responsible for the progressive exploitation of all company’s potentials, lying the bases of the current corporate structure. He is attributed the great merit to diffuse an enterprise culture focused on strategy, marketing, distribution and financial management. Lino Spagnoli, in addition to be a great corporate leader, was also fond of sports. In 1957 he began practicing power boating, winning the world title in the «Racers» category in 1959 and the European title «Racers 800 kg» in 1960. From 1966 to 1973, he was President of the Football Association of Perugia, leading Umbrian football club from C to B league.

'Luisa Spagnoli Confezioni a Maglia S.r.l.'
'Luisa Spagnoli Confezioni a Maglia S.r.l.'

In 1952, 'Luisa Spagnoli Confezioni a Maglia S.r.l.' was founded, coinciding with the beginning of production diversification: new garments in different fabrics (merinfleur, waffle, wool and cotton jersey), some of which patented by the Company (e.g. angolmere) were introduced alongside traditional Angora wool clothing.

Mario Spagnoli in America, 1953
Mario Spagnoli in America, 1953

Luisa Spagnoli’s winning features in the ‘50s consisted in high mechanisation, development of the sale network, offer of garments characterised by haute-couture quality and cut and large stock assortment, presented in luxurious half-yearly catalogues. The ‘50s saw a significant expansion of the plant, an increase of employees (in addition to home work) and the opening of the directly-operated store chain in Italy and abroad.

From limited liability to joint-stock
From limited liability to joint-stock

After taking over the company leadership, Lino Spagnoli took essential measures aimed at financial recovery, thanks to which Luisa Spagnoli continued its positive trend, increasing the export volume, number of stores and employees: the latest substantial hirings took place in 1967, year in which the company was transformed from limited liability to joint-stock.

A new strategy
A new strategy

At that time, the entrepreneur from Perugia, foreseeing the social and economic development of that tumultuous end of decade characterised by strong social conflicts, began to plan a new strategy that allowed the Company to continue being a source of employment and wealth for Umbria and also to overcome a period of economic crisis in the Country and become more consolidated, unlike the entire Italian industry. Among the main features of the new plan, there are the considerable investments in technologies and change of work method from complete article to assembly chain.

THE 70S
THE 70S

For Company Luisa Spagnoli, the ‘70s continued by implementing the powerful upgrading policy that had characterised the previous decade. Social tensions, workers’ unrests and public protests are the background of a world in constant transformation. Lino Spagnoli, foreseeing social and economic developments, began to plan a new strategy that allowed the Company to continue being a source of employment and wealth for Umbria and also to overcome the economic crisis and become more consolidated. Luisa’s grandson had a farsighted idea that was embraced by fashion industry’s operators many decades later: that to create a large number of satellite artisan firms mainly managed by the parent company’s staff, and equipped with know-how and the necessary technology by the latter.

The evolution of the image
The evolution of the image

In 1986, the sudden and premature death of her father, led Nicoletta Spagnoli to take over the leadership as Managing Director, of an already famous and asserted Company in the Italian women's clothing market. By showing great dynamism and excellent entrepreneurial skills, Nicoletta Spagnoli gave an extraordinary contribution to the Company’s growth, focusing above all on innovation applied to product and image. The Company’s development trend, which also continued in recent years, during which the national clothing and textile industry experienced a period of crisis, is the result of the strategies adopted by Nicoletta Spagnoli. The strategy consists of gradual product renewal and acquisition of new market sectors involving younger and trendy clients compared to traditional clients fond of the brand.

Restyling the brand
Restyling the brand

A brand restyling process began under her guidance, through the creation of collections characterised by a more appealing and glamour image, without forgetting Luisa Spagnoli’s traditional positive values: high intrinsic product quality, excellent quality-price ratio, class and elegance. The result consisted in brand repositioning, which became a unique reference point to satisfy the demand of sober elegance that can suit any clothing style and different age bands.

TODAY
TODAY

From the first fashion show in the official calendar of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion) in 2021 to the creation of CLUB LUISA, today the brand looks to the future through a concept of contemporary elegance, perfect for any occasion. Club Luisa is a phygital concept and offers customers the opportunity to feel part of the brand's digital and in-store international activities. Today Luisa Spagnoli runs towards the future faster than ever, without losing its identity.

GERARDO DOTTORI’S HIDDEN TREASURE
GERARDO DOTTORI’S HIDDEN TREASURE

A LUCKY INTUITION, AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY A magic place can always hide beautiful surprises. That is exactly what happened between the walls of the angora city, little workers’ town established by Mario Spagnoli. The unmistakable paintings and extraordinary mural decorations by painter Gerardo Dottori had been hiding here, hidden by the plastering of a later renovation. A priceless and beautiful heritage was in danger of being lost forever.

BRINGING BACK TO LIFE A HERITAGE OF BEAUTY
BRINGING BACK TO LIFE A HERITAGE OF BEAUTY

This discovery was astonishing to Nicoletta Spagnoli. Being sensitive and diligent, Luisa Spagnoli’s great granddaughter started the restoration process. By doing so, she consolidated the unbreakable links that chain together the company, the town and the talented artists who were born here. Bringing back to life Dottori’s masterpieces is the proof that combining trading and culture –since always the number one inspiration in Luisa Spagnoli’s history- is a winning choice. It is also an act that shows unconditional love for the community.