History of the Company
The Gossip firm of Castelfiorentino (Florence), which now produces the ANTONELLI Firenze brand, was founded in 1950 by Luciano Antonelli as a lingerie manufacturer, initially under the name Vicad.
Then in 2001 came the generational passage to the founder’s daughters Enrica and Roberta, and the company opened up a new chapter in its history. The launch on the market of the first collection of couture shirts, or rather table shirts, immediately met with outstanding success in both the domestic market and abroad.
From this it was but a short step to the complete collection, and in 2013 ANTONELLI Firenze hit the market with a total look Made in Italy “by women for women”. The collection is hallmarked by a novel stylistic vision showcasing a natural elegance and a discreetly Italian style that shuns excess.
“Our experience in the production of shirts equipped us with a broad culture in the variety and use of fine fabrics. In addition, it also allowed us to develop creativity within precise benchmarks by seeking unusual combinations of fabric and working,” explain Enrica and Roberta Antonelli.
Thus, quality, attention to detail and research – which have always been in the company’s DNA – even now continue to be the hallmark of Antonelli Firenze all over the world.
In 2008 the third generation arrived in the person of Enrica’s son, Marco Berni, in the role of director of marketing and finance. This marked an ulterior evolution in the Brand which placed itself decisively in the accessible luxury bracket through a uniform distribution in over 500 multibrand outlets in Italy and abroad. “We will close 2015 with a turnover of 9.2 million euro, equivalent to + 18% on the 7.8 million of 2014, and with an estimated EBIT of 12.7% due to the increase in the export quota, where we have recorded growth in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Scandinavia, Spain and France,” explains Marco Berni.
The company predicts an increase in the growth percentages scheduled to reach a turnover of 12 mln euro in 2016. “The S/S 2016 sales campaign has notched up a significant increase in orders, in terms of both quantity and average amount, up +30% on the historic record of the spring/summer 2015 season. Foreign sales have made a conspicuous contribution to these results, with increases of over 60% in almost all the markets as against the +13.6% recorded in Italy.
We believe that growth will intensify further in the forthcoming winter sales campaign as a result of an ever greater number of customers who are agreeably satisfied with our current excellent sellouts of the 2015 winter collection on sale in the boutiques. As a result of the containment of the fixed costs at current levels, and the higher margin applied on international sales, we can count on reaching an EBIT of 18.3% in 2016,” concludes Berni.
The company’s headquarters in Castelfiorentino comprise the style office, the sample range production and the raw materials and finished products warehouses. On the strength of its family-firm structure, the company can ensure a streamlined restocking service in just 24 hours all over the world.
The Milan showroom has recently been opened in a space of 220 square metres in Via Tortona 21.