Le Fabbriche Riunite (formerly Ittierre) relaunches with young designers

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Mar 18, 2016

It is a new start for the Italian fashion group Ittierre, re-christened Le Fabbriche Riunite by new owner IKF, a Milanese investment fund specialised in relaunching struggling business, and which also features in its portfolio wool manufacturer Luigi Botto.

In the last few years the Ittierre group suffered a serious financial crisis. The group was specialised in manufacturing under licence for some of fashion's top brands, from Roberto Cavalli to Dolce & Gabbana, but the business experienced repeated difficulties.

Today the company is reborn from its ashes, with about fifty employees as opposed to 700 less than two years ago, still in its long-standing location in Pettoranello, Molise, southern Italy.

Led by Mauro Sgarlata, Le Fabbriche Riunite has begun again with three young brands: Greece-born designer Mary Katrantzou, Milan-based Viennese designer Arthur Arbesser and Piccione.Piccione, a label launched a few years ago by Sicilian designer Salvatore Piccione, which showed for the very first time in Milan last February.

IKF's intention is to set up "not simply a high-quality manufacturing hub, but also the heart of a new fashion district," the company stated in a press release.

For the time being, the production machine has been set in motion again. The company also wishes to re-engage in its distribution operations by signing licence agreements in the future.