ML - Vegas Magazine

2014 - Issue 8 - December

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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photography by andy barnham (factory); brUna rotUnnIo/coUrtESy of Loro pIana continued on page 52 We've just set sail off the British Virgin Islands with the official Loro Piana race crew during the 2014 Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous. Pier Luigi Loro Piana, vice chairman of the Italian textile and luxury goods brand, and Matthieu Brisset, Loro Piana's new CEO from LVMH, huddle near the massive helm, strate- gizing with top sailors from around the globe. Dressed as one of the crew, Pier Luigi, 63, grins. "Jazz and sailing are my passions," he says, "besides wool and cashmere." Discussing his decision to sell a majority of his family business to LVMH—the European luxury conglomerate acquired an 80 percent stake in Loro Piana in July 2013 for 2 billion euros (about $2.6 billion)— Pier Luig i, who remains hands-on, is quick to smile. He feels his company is tacking in the right direction. And although he may sail the largest yachts in the ocean, he can also be found in a dinghy scouring the far reaches of the earth for the kinds of exquisite textiles his customers associate with his brand. His latest gem, the fiber of the lotus f lower, is a front-runner in the company's evolving commitment to sus- tainable luxury—a buzzword among top-tier brands vying for the attention of a discerning clientele, one that increasingly prioritizes a social conscience. Accord i ng to a recent st udy publ ished by t he World Jewellery Confederation, luxury brands may lose business if they fail to emphasize corporate and social responsibility (CSR). Jonat ha n Kenda ll, t he confederat ion's president of marketing and education, notes, "Corporate responsibilit y will be directly linked to a luxury company's profitability in the future." T he 2 013 Cone Com municat ions/ Echo Globa l St udy on C SR found t hat nine out of 10 global consumers want companies to exceed the minimal stan- dards required by law for operating responsibly. "We are looking for qualit y—that st rateg y will never change," Pier Luig i explains, "but with the mentality to respect the environment in how we produce and manufacture. This is very important—to do less damage to this world." THE CALL OF CR AFTSMANSHIP Est ablished in 1924 by Piet ro Loro Piana—yet with origins dating back to 1812 with the vision of Pier Luigi's great- grandfather Giacomo Loro Piana—the company was the first to brand and label a textile, during the late 1800s. "We were known for making good, thick woolen coats—and high-quality fabric, particularly for men," says Pier Luigi. "After World War II, [my father] made a strategic change, with products for both men and women." Pier Luigi and his brother, Siergo, took over in the 1970s and began exporting fabrics—with the mantra of continuing a multigen- erational commitment to high-quality craftsmanship—and today the Italian house is the world's largest cashmere manufacturer and the biggest single pur- chaser of the globe's finest wools, with 150 retail outlets, 16 of them in the United States, including Las Vegas. Luxe et Veritas as high-end fashion houses target a luxury sector increasingly concerned with sustainability, Loro Piana is decidedly —and beautifully—on course. by erin lentz Unlike brands that outsource steps in production, Loro Piana's sheep-to-shop process allows for tight quality control. At its group headquarters in Corso Rolandi, Italy, one will find artists with tweezers working over swaths of cash- mere, while huge, high-tech machines support a large-scale modern operation, as the six-generation brand remains rooted in its dedication to high-quality craftsmanship. "In the '80s we invested in a lot of new technology," Pier Luigi says, "but the machinery can do nothing without people who can manage it, and sometimes perfection is still guaranteed by the fine mending made by hand." from top: The stalk of the lotus flower produces a strong and lightweight fiber that is harvested and extracted by hand; the Lotus Flower jacket; workers at Loro Piana's Sillavengo factory, in Piedmont, Italy, testing fabric elasticity. 50  vegasmagazine.com Style Fashion Conscience

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