In the picturesque north of Italy, in the heart of luxury craftsmanship, the story of the Loro Piana brand – a true banner of superlative textiles and luxury goods – unfolds masterfully. Over six generations,
In the picturesque north of Italy, in the heart of luxury craftsmanship, the story of the Loro Piana brand – a true banner of superlative textiles and luxury goods – unfolds masterfully. Over six generations, this fashion house has embodied its tireless commitment to excellence and refined quality, forming a definitive identity in the world of fashion.
History
The Loro Piana story has its origins in the picturesque Trivero, where the Loro Piana family started trading wool since the 1800s. In 1924, Pietro Loro Piana founded the company Ing. Loro Piana & C., representing what it is today. The second generation took over in 1941 when Franco, Pietro’s grandson, took control of the business. After the Second World War, the firm made its name as a supplier of premium wool and cashmere textiles to the haute couture industry, not only in Italy but internationally. In the 70s, brothers Sergio and Pier Luigi Loro Piana took the helm, diversifying into luxury goods and expanding the network of boutiques globally.
At the end of 2013, Loro Piana joined the LVMH group with the aim of preserving its heritage and unique spirit, in the perspective of realizing its significant potential in the future. “LVMH has already demonstrated that it respects and supports family businesses in their values, traditions and desire to offer customers an incomparable level of quality,” explains Pier Luigi Loro Piana, who is now Vice President of the House of Piedmont. “The family, the craft, the quest uninterrupted pursuit of quality, authenticity and innovation are some of the values we share. As the latest addition to LVMH, Loro Piana can benefit from strong synergies while preserving its heritage and traditions.” Future prospects include the expansion of Loro Piana’s product range and the selective expansion of its global network of boutiques, consolidating and capitalizing on its global reputation for supreme quality.
With 9 production sites in Italy, 171 Loro Piana stores worldwide and an annual production of 5 million meters of fabric, the Loro Piana brand is synonymous with the finest fibers and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Loro Piana craftsmanship
Loro Piana has become the model for the world’s finest yarns and materials thanks to its tireless investment in raw materials, production, and continuous innovation. The company controls every stage of production to its rigorous standards, from the collection of natural fibers to the delivery of finished products to stores. Loro Piana’s commitment to the sustainability of these rare and exclusive fibers has led to long-term conservation programs to protect the animals and their habitats. Through exclusive partnerships with suppliers around the world, it supports and encourages continuous research and development directly from the source. Loro Piana uses these unique raw materials to produce its world-renowned textiles and exceptional luxury goods, all painstakingly crafted in Italy by some of the country’s most skilled artisans. Tradition and innovation inspire the company’s unwavering vision of quality.
Passion for precious raw materials
Today, Loro Piana is a name synonymous with excellence in the processing of cashmere and other fine and rare raw materials. The search for exceptional raw materials has taken Loro Piana to the farthest corners of the globe, from northern China and Mongolia, where goats provide the finest cashmere, to the mountain plateaus of the Andes, where the rarity called vicuña is collected, to Australia and New Zealand, the home of merino sheep that produce the finest wool. The unmatched quality of these raw materials is transformed into garments and accessories, each bearing the stamp of Italian craftsmanship. The company draws inspiration from ancient traditions and cutting-edge technology to offer its customers products renowned for their unmatched quality. All collections of ready-to-wear clothing and accessories are made in Italy according to the highest standards of craftsmanship and sartorial excellence.
The Finest Fibers
Vicuña
The mountain plateaus of Peru and Argentina are home to a magnificent animal that provides the finest and rarest animal fiber in the world: the vicuña, a diminutive member of the camel family once revered by the Incas. Today, Loro Piana has become a reference name in vicuña processing, being the main processor of this precious fiber. Vicuña is the finest legal fiber collected from adult animals, with an average diameter of approximately 12.5-13 microns. This collection takes place once every two years, when each animal provides around 250 grams of wool. After removing the coarser fibers, the weight is reduced to about 120-150 grams. Light as a feather and incredibly soft, this exceptional raw material gives the fabrics a unique feel to the touch.
The Gift Of Kings®
An introduction to the essence of luxury – The Gift of Kings® wool, an exceptional creation exclusive to Loro Piana. This meticulously selected and extremely rare merino wool exudes an impeccable feel. Soft to the touch and incredibly light, it is created from wool from carefully selected flocks and as such is available in very limited quantities. Loro Piana’s collection of fine wool sweaters for women has been created following a constant search for the most desirable raw materials in the world, putting maximum comfort and quality at the fore.
The Gift of Kings® is a fine wool, naturally elastic and with an unrivaled ability to absorb moisture, allowing the skin to breathe freely. Loro Piana collections made from The Gift of Kings® fine wool are suitable for both winter and summer, with increased versatility thanks to the thin and breathable fiber of only 12 microns.
Merino wool
Loro Piana expeditions also guide us to the continents of Australia and New Zealand, where the merino sheep has found its ideal habitat. The fur of these sheep produces wool of the highest quality, characterized by ultra-fine fineness, velvety texture and special luster. This superfine wool is truly a rare and valuable resource. Of the approximately 75 million sheep in this region, only about 18 million produce wool with a diameter of less than 19 microns. Year after year, Loro Piana proudly purchases the most exceptional lots of wool produced in Australia and New Zealand.
Cashmere
Mongolia is the source of the most prized lots of this extremely valuable fiber. Through direct collaborations in these countries, Loro Piana has developed a special bond with the Hircus goat farmers, who produce cashmere. Once a year, a harvest of these precious furs is carried out through a delicate combing process, ensuring that the animals are not harmed. In a time span of about a year, each goat produces around 450-500 grams of raw material; after removing the rougher outer threads, the amount is reduced to about 250 grams. It is important to note that only the highest quality cashmere is selected to create the unmistakable Loro Piana yarns and textiles.
Baby Cashmere
Baby cashmere, an exceptionally soft fabric, is the unmistakable signature of Loro Piana. The fiber is incredibly fine and gives a feeling of unsurpassed smoothness. Loro Piana’s range of baby cashmere clothing is intended for those who seek unparalleled touch sensations in moments of absolute relaxation. Rare and refined, baby cashmere offers a sublime feel on the skin. Loro Piana creates every modern wardrobe item from this delicate material, including trousers, sweaters, coats and accessories.
Baby cashmere is collected from the underwool of Hircus goat kids, which are between 6 and 12 months old. Measuring 13.5 microns in diameter, the delicacy and finesse of Baby Cashmere is unmatched by the already fine cashmere, which is around 15 microns.
Pecora Nera®
Pecora Nera® is the result of two decades of dedicated work by a New Zealand breeder with the desire to restore the importance and dignity of black Merino sheep. Through careful selection, choosing to crossbreed only animals with particular genetic characteristics, this effort gradually revealed the sheep’s original traits, such as lustrous wool, exceptional strength and distinctive colors that range from mixed shades of brown to black. With constant passion and dedication in this endeavour, the Pecora Nera® breed lives on today in its authentic form, providing wool of the highest quality. Pecora Nera® stands out for its ultra-soft, comfortable and durable texture, being surprisingly light. This is the ideal choice for transitional seasons. By using this rare and exceptional fiber, Loro Piana has the ability to create particularly fine articles and textiles with unique insulating properties in a varied palette of dark natural shades.
Tasmanian®
In the dictionary of the Italian language, Tasmanian® is synonymous with “light woolen fabric”. Tasmanian® became iconic in the 60s, a reinterpretation of an exceptional fabric that Loro Piana produced for church wear. Today, as in the past, Tasmanian® wools are among the lightest in the world, weighing just 250 grams per metre, and come from the remote island of Tasmania, located in southern Australia. The fiber measures only 15 microns, stands out for its extraordinary fineness, smoothness and fluidity and offers an impeccable style anytime, anywhere.
The Lotus Flower®
In the perpetual search for the world’s most precious and rare raw materials, Loro Piana has reached the pinnacle of excellence with The Lotus Flower® – a delicate and precious fiber obtained from the sacred stems of the lotus flower.
Carefully harvested between April and January, the fiber is hand-twisted and expertly protected by the skilled hands of local women. The result is a precious material, extremely limited in production, 50 meters of material per month. This unique fabric is an ancestral art, supported by Loro Piana by working with the Myanmar community to protect the culture and environment.
With a diameter of between three and five microns, lotus fiber surpasses cotton and linen in fineness. The cellulose-like material exudes a slightly irregular texture, being breathable and wrinkle-resistant. Ideal for spring and summer jackets, 6500 stems are required for a single blazer. So The Lotus Flower® comes to life in limited editions, targeting customers looking for authenticity and sophistication.
Storm System®
The Storm System® innovation developed by Loro Piana transforms fabrics into completely waterproof and windproof materials, preserving the finesse and comfort of natural fibers.
Launched in 1994, Storm System® is Loro Piana’s trademark for natural fabrics made completely weatherproof by combining raw materials with advanced technology. The Storm System® uses a double barrier. The Rain System® treatment forms an invisible barrier on the surface, repelling water and protecting against dirt. Hydrophilic membranes behind the fabric maintain body temperature and repel water.
Green Storm System® provides rain and wind protection for natural fabrics. It uses a membrane based on biotechnology, complemented by the PFC-free Rain System® treatment, protecting the environment. The Storm System® guarantees comfort and performance, respecting the nature and needs of customers – athletes, travelers and businessmen – regardless of the weather, season or activity.
Exclusive Customization
Loro Piana offers enthusiasts of the rare and exceptional the opportunity to customize products created from the finest and most precious raw materials in the world.
You can make adjustments to any Loro Piana product to perfectly suit your needs. In addition to the traditional tailoring services for formal wear and knitwear, every garment, footwear, leather goods and accessories can be fully customized. You can create your own combinations from a wide range of exceptional materials, choosing from over 1,500 variations of Loro Piana fabrics, including extra fine merino wool, cashmere and baby cashmere, vicuña and the rarest silks.
Passion for the environment
Protecting the environment is a key priority for Loro Piana. Achieving superlative quality and ensuring the least possible impact on the environment: this is Loro Piana’s philosophy, and the company has always been committed to environmental sustainability.
- The Clean Water Commitment: From Quarona to Mongolia. All processes that use water are carried out in the factory in Quarona, where the wastewater treatment plant in operation since 1987 is a source of pride for the entire company. In addition, Loro Piana boasts an ecological first: in 2012, it built the first wastewater treatment plant in Mongolia, exporting care for this vital resource.
- Solar energy to fight pollution. The photovoltaic systems installed in Loro Piana’s main facilities reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, year after year.
Refinement and tradition
In the refined world of clothing and knitwear, the Loro Piana Textile Division redefines beauty with the finest cashmere, merino wool, cotton and linen yarns, materializing luxury in national and international markets.
Chromatic Innovation: At its headquarters in Italy, Loro Piana creates innovative shades through color recipes developed in the state-of-the-art laboratory. Raw materials are dyed according to high quality and environmental standards. The water used in the process is returned to nature with the highest degree of purity.
Italian elegance: The secrets of exceptional knitwear lie in Loro Piana yarns, created from pure raw materials, 100% Made in Italy. The Research and Development Laboratory explores more than 600 types of yarns every year, and artisans bring the details of each yarn to life, imprinting their innovative creativity.
Excellence and Durability:
Quality is the essence of the Loro Piana brand and its commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of its activities. In this regard, the brand likes to celebrate and reward manufacturing excellence and sustainable development.
“Record Bale” and “Cashmere of the Year” awards to recognize quality: Every year, Loro Piana awards the “Record Bale” and “Cashmere of the Year” awards to recognize and reward breeders who have produced the finest wool fibers and cashmere. These awards are not only an appreciation of their work, but also an encouragement to continue striving for the highest quality. Since the launch of the “Record Bale” award in 1997, fiber quality has improved by approximately 25%, representing a constant step towards perfection.
The Loro Piana Method and supporting sustainable development in Inner Mongolia: In 2009, Loro Piana introduced the “Loro Piana Method” in Inner Mongolia. This method promotes sustainable development, ensuring a balance between animals, the environment and local populations. This not only supports the quality of cashmere, but also contributes to the conservation of habitats and improving the lives of local communities.
In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly important, Loro Piana stands out by not compromising on quality, but at the same time investing in a better future for the environment and people. The extent to which Loro Piana integrates excellence and sustainability in all its aspects shows that fashion and responsibility can go hand in hand, thus inspiring other brands to follow this admirable example.
The White Sole
The White Sole is a symbol of the Loro Piana footwear collection. Steeped in nautical heritage, the white-soled shoes were originally created to be worn on yachts. They had a white sole so as not to leave marks on the deck.
Loro Piana White Soles are a hallmark of nautical style. White-soled shoes are considered the signature of nautical elegance, suitable for both a casual and relaxed look in the city and in the harbor. Loro Piana presents white-soled men’s sneakers and loafers for spring and summer in various shades and styles. Soft and comfortable, nautical-inspired footwear complements a wide range of looks with originality and sophistication.
The 5 Loro Piana women’s pieces worth investing in:
- Baby Cashmere Sweater: Soft and warm, the true embodiment of luxury.
- Loafers: Made of high-quality velvety calf leather, it perfectly combines comfort with style.
- Baby Cashmere Scarf: Versatile, warm and lightweight, an ideal accessory for fall and winter.
- Vicuña Coat: Amazingly soft and rare, a distinctive piece that stands the test of time.
- Sesia Bag: Simple, logo-free and expertly crafted from smooth calf leather, representing quality over ‘brand’.
At the heart of the Loro Piana brand pulse the values of refinement, passion for quality and commitment to exceptional materials. These elements are embedded in every cashmere thread, in every fabric and in every detail of its products. Loro Piana’s rich heritage and tradition are representative of a vision of excellence that transcends time and manages to create a perfect symbiosis between tradition and innovation.