(May 11) – When Lanificio F.lli Cerruti entered China twenty years ago, its biggest challenge was to find customers who could afford its expensive range of menswear fabrics. But money is no longer an issue for the Italian fabric fashion house and fabric maker as wealthy Chinese are fast developing a taste for high-end Italian-styled clothing.
“Over the past five to six years, the number of Chinese consumers who are appreciating the quality of Italian fabric has been steadily growing,” says Daniele Sanzeni, CEO and managing director of the privately owned textile company, during a recent visit to Beijing.
“For many Chinese clothing manufacturers, Italian-designed fabrics can add more value to their products. This can be reflected in the details of the pocket or in the stitching of the sleeve.”
Lanificio Cerruti is among a growing number of Italian fabric makers that are cashing in on booming exports to China, even as local textile firms are looking to establish a presence in the high-end market. The Italian fashion house had a presence in China earlier, and was known for its woolen suits. Now it operates only its textile company, catering to a bevy of designers, retailers and suit makers in China, including Delure, Ports and Baoxiniao, all big names with thousands of stores in China. Many Chinese clothing makers, who were previously engaged in contract manufacturing for exports, have in recent years created their own brands. Not only have they adopted Italian-sounding names but also import Italian materials, trying to use their expertise to crack the high-end market.
Lanificio F.lli Cerruti, established in 1881, saw its revenue rise 20 percent to 5 million euros in China last year, while the growth in its traditional European markets was just 10 percent. (Red)
