As Fashion Week Gets Under Way, Two Italian Brands Set To Debut

When Olympus Fashion Week kicks off tomorrow at Bryant Park, two Italian fashion brands – Malo and Miss Sixty – will make their New York debut. Though these two companies are as different as uptown and downtown, they’re similar in one way: They want the American consumer.Malo, renowned for sumptuous cashmere, has been at the forefront of Italian luxury for decades and will show off its wares on Wednesday. Why present the collection stateside? According to CEO Stefano Ferro, Malo is in an age of expansion, having recently released a line of accessories to accompany its clothing. The runway presentation, of Fall 2006, will be the first full collection designed by Fabio Piras, who decamped from Brioni in May 2005.“America is for us a very important market,” Mr. Ferro said. “We are available in the best retail and department stores, we have four stores, and so we are very involved with U.S.”But there is also a more qualitative reason for showing in New York. Malo feels it has an American sensibility that distinguishes it from its Italian and European peers. “Our luxury is made by lifestyle, not made by decoration or some kind of additional and external elements. It’s very much oriented to the American vision of luxury,” said Mr. Ferro.Knitwear is generally linked to weekends and leisure, and Malo’s apparel has that informality, or a natural element, as Mr. Ferro points out. Not in an L.L. Bean sort of way: It’s what you might wear if you spend your time in a Tuscan villa – and have the budget to match. Malo’s cashmere zip front bomber sweater, a staple of their collections, is $850. Malo’s retail shops are mainly located in resort towns – Aspen, Colo., Palm Beach and Bal Harbor, Fla. – where the clothing fits the context. The store on Madison Avenue is the only Malo outlet in a major urban area. And it’s a city that appeals to the CEO. Mr. Ferro said New York is a place where international trends come together to form a coherent fusion. Unlike Paris and Milan, where individuals are easi ly recognizable from their silhouettes, in New York there is a sophisticated international style – and that’s where Malo wants to be.Though Miss Sixty is for a younger, denim-centric crowd, it is positioned for similar growth in this country. Creative director and co-founder Wichy (pronounced Vicky) Hassan chose New York for its energy, but also the character of its fashion week.“It’s more contemporary. It’s less high fashion than Paris. New York’s more street, more real,” he said. “Sometimes in Milan it’s just something for the catalogue, and they don’t really show the collection. We need a place where they see what we are doing seriously.”His decision has as much to do with aesthetics as with business. A company that looks to dress the pretty young things in the downtowns of the world couldn’t do better than in the quintessential downtown. Miss Sixty’s show will not be in the tents at Bryant Park, but at Capitale on the Bowery, not too far from its SoHo shop selling denim that starts at $200.On tap will be the sexy, urban looks that the brand specializes in, some of them inspired by style in the Big Apple itself. Mr. Hassan spends a lot of his time in New York scrounging around vintage stores looking for new ideas among the old clothes. The delightful chaos of downtown boutiques and second hand clothing stores is reflected in his design and philosophy. “I like New York because it is a very exciting place, a clash of different cultures, different style, different people-something new is born,” he said.

As Fashion Week Gets Under Way, Two Italian Brands Set To Debut

As Fashion Week Gets Under Way, Two Italian Brands Set To Debut

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