A high-range brand, made in Italy, which the Gavazzeni family has led to success, breathing life into a brand synonymous with exclusiveness and lifestyle. With the goal of “Creating a shirt both comfortable and elegant, to wear for every occasion”.
It’s no surprise that it was Pino Gavazzeni who so strongly believed in the idea of a luxury shirt so close to the “made to measure” concept, an idea that has now passed into the hands of Antonio Gavazzeni and his cousin Andrea. They evidently have the fabric of the shirt in the DNA. If we add the affective factor Bagutta, created in 1975 as the diamond tip of Confezioni Italiane Tessili (CIT), established in 1939 in the full of the fascist era shortly before the second world war, it continues to be the “arbitres elegantiarum” of the classic style, the essential mark of both men’s and women’s apparel. A shirt made in Italy, but above all, made with a beautiful pair of tailored pants are what’s needed for metropolitan dressing. The old adage “clothes do not maketh the man”, if it ever did, certainly doesn’t work today.
This year sees the opening of a new chapter, with the entry of Mario Stefano Maran into the company as worldwide marketing and sales manager, who’s putting himself to the test starting with the shirt by turning it into a coordinated project: a complete line in shirts. Starting from Bagutta First Dressing Choice for the high-end, through Bagutta Milano reinterpreting the classics and through Bagutta The Shirt with innovative treatments. Then on to Bagutta contemporary to include a space for aesthetic experimentation.
F.1.M. : What does Made in Italy, or rather, made in Lombardy mean for Bagutta?
M.M. : An unbreakable tie with the territory, which was the cradle and the forge of the modern shirt, especially in the area we’re located. This area is characterised by a strong manufacturing tradition: just think how many firms there are in this territory, firms that have written the history of Italian artisanal skill.
Being made in Italy is the condition that enables us to dialogue with the upper ranges of the market, which always demands exclusive, thoroughbred products. However, what we are witnessing today is a form of entrepreneurialism at times unscrupulously dedicated to pure profit, which inevitably imposes certain choices that not only impoverish the qualitative content of the product, but the resources of the territory as well.
F.1.M. : Bagutta is a high-range brand that continues to be synonymous with exclusiveness and lifestyle? Can you explain how?
M.M. : Because Bagutta has a long history and has become an “iconic” brand in the world of shirts. It has deep roots, in Milanese sobriety, tailoring tradition and elegance, which over time have fused with the “fashion” of which Milan is the international capital.
F.1.M. : It’s also true you have a family history, and a deep culture and knowledge of the market…
M.M. : The Gavazzeni family has always been at the head of “CIT spa”, the brand’s parent, and has obviously acquired a bit of the family’s DNA, full of culture and personalities who have excelled in the field of art and music. Perhaps that is why Bagutta has that particular taste.
F.1.M. : Where does the name Bagutta come from? Tell us something about the birth of the brand
M.M. : It was born in Milan. A hard-working, elegant city, the city of business, the stock exchange, fashion and fashion shows, the Milan of culture and great cuisine.
This is where BAGUTTA was born, the name itself encapsulating the very best of a city that has become the symbol of Italian international spirit.
It was in Milan that the Gavazzeni family created its line in shirts back in 1975, taking the name from the street that most represents the true essence of the city: VIA BAGUTTA.
In the heart of the city, nestled in the shadow of the Duomo between piazza San Babila and via Montenapoleone, where for decades, in the post-war years, the best of Italy’s journalists and people of culture of the time used to meet at the famous Bagutta restaurant. Bagutta, with its heart rooted in tradition and gaze firmly set on the future. Bagutta elegant and contemporary. Keeper of the soul, but transgressive in its desire.
F.1.M. : Which was the year of your greatest success?
M.M. : More than a year, it was a period, the ‘eighties and ‘nineties
Mario Maran
F.1.M. : And today? How are you moving on the markets? What are your strategies?
M.M. : A year ago we started on the rebranding project, aiming for the top-end with great attention to the best possible positioning on the Italian market and a great push into the foreign markets, both in Europe and the rest of the world.
F.1.M. : Are you active on the American market as well?
M.M. : The American market is not the easiest, but it can give great satisfaction. We started a year ago and we’ve had some exciting results, both for the men’s and the women’s lines.
In America service is paramount, and that’s what we’re concentrating on.
F.1.M. : Did you manage to grow even through the crisis?
M.M. : We got surprising support from many of the leading operators on the market, in a very short span of time, a demonstration that the strategy we’ve adopted has to be the right one.
F.1.M. : What about China and Korea?
M.M. : More than China and Korea, where we’ve made a very good start, the most interesting Asian market is Japan, where Bagutta is already into two-figure performance results.
F.1.M. : What do you see as the future of the shirt?
M.M. : After years of have lost its privileged position, there’s certainly a return to considering the shirt as a fundamental element of the mix. After years of “T-shirt under the jacket”, real elegance seems to be proudly coming back into fashion.
This is thanks to us, and the way we’ve remodelled collars, details and volumes.
Bagutta tailored shirts are now firmly associated with the sense of perceived luxury.
Antonio Gavazzeni / Mario Maran and Alessandro Squarzi
F.1.M. : How did you manage to create this phenomenon, in a world saturated by supply?
M.M. : Precisely by aiming for distinctive factors other than simple price: sartorial skill, creativity, detail and service`.
F.1.M. : Can you paint us a portrait of your typical customer?
M.M. : Men and women who love quality and have a cultured, international view of how to dress.
F.1.M. : An accessory any wearer of a Bagutta shirt simply can’t be without?
M.M. : Bagutta shoes and ties. Indeed we’re presenting a new, captivating accessories collection in January 2018.
F.1.M. : Are you planning any new openings for 2018?
M.M. : We’re refurbishing the shop in Via San Pietro all’Orto, which will be ready in March, thanks to the work of architect Stefano Cellerino. Then we’ll be starting a new distribution strategy aimed at repositioning the brand in the luxury sector, introducing the brand to the higher end of the market.