Mauro Grifoni

Mauro Grifoni is the founder, in 1992, of the Mauro Grifoni enterprise. Today, he acts as Creative Director for the men`s collection.

A pragmatic dreamer, and a true self-made man, Mario turns his curiosity, his experimental drive, and his love for traditional craft into the fuel of an unstoppable creative evolution. This is the mason of his success.

The story begins with a shirt: Mauro Grifoni makes his own pattern on paper, paying attention to every single detail. Before anybody else, he adopts needle machines, used to make coats, to produce shirts, putting the Iconic AMF stitch on collars and cuffs. He thus ignites a new trend, and many others follow.

He learns tailoring torn seasoned tailors, and shoemaking from seasoned cobblers, while experimenting new treatments such as cold dyeing on cashmere knits.

A true pioneer, he creates a new style, classic at the core yet nonchalant in the spirit.

Mauro Grifoni feeds his creativity with constant stimuli, and endless travels.

He fuses his own Italian experience with the radical approach to fashion of his beloved Japan, thus creating an unexpected mix.

It`s in Japan, by the way, that he became acquainted with the premium denim culture and the vintage indigo canvases made on old American looms. The idea spawned the successful M. Grifoni DENIM line.

A brave champion of the Made in Italy, Mauro Grifoni offers his valuable consultancy to the best Italian fabric-makers. He strongly believes in Italian craftsmanship, and this is why he wants to preserve it while exporting it worldwide.

The story begins in 1992 with a series of handmade shirts under the label Mauro Grifoni. An obsessive quest for perfection, together with a love for traditional craftsmanship seen with a modern eye and a contemporary sensibility, propel the whole engine in motion. Rather quickly, things grow to include other products, 'til a total look finally takes shape. The concept is to create an assured, refined collection safe from mass-marketed trends and common formulas; an eclectic, sophisticated, metropolitan wardrobe made with the best fabrics relying on top-notch tailoring finesse. Unexpected classicism, playful understatement and new tradition meet up in a subdued yet precious recipe conceived for demanding palates. Each piece is iconic but non-obvious, rigorous design-wise but relaxed, always ready to be appropriated and interpreted by the wearer according to one's own instinct and will. The DNA is proudly, unmistakably Italian, but never obviously so.

Mauro Grifoni, the project's founder and instigator, has found two business and creative partners, Ilaria Sesso and Andrea Breda, whose contribution was vital in the definition of the brand's peculiar identity. In 1997 a women's collection was launched, followed in 2001 by a jeans line and in 2002 by accessories. Across all evolutions and ramifications, the brand maintained and strengthened its signature mix of harsh refinement and excellent craftsmanship. From the bespoke suit to the sweatshirt to the feminine wardrobe, a precise, eclectically coherent esthetic unites a whole range of products.

In 2002, a directly-owned flagship store opened in Verona; Padova, Brescia, Bergamo and Treviso swiftly followed. A new boutique, housed on three floors for a whole of 300

square meters, will be opened at the end of February 2009 in Milan's via Santo Spirito, in the elegant heart of the city. Responsible for the image of all the shops is a team of architects directed by Mauro Grifoni: the clean and artfully organic style runs perfectly in synch with the whole Mauro Grifoni esthetic. Each shop is designed to fit into the space's peculiar characteristics, thus not following a standardized formula.

The Mauro Grifoni brands, all produced by Manila srl, are: Mauro Grifoni: men's and women's total look; M.Grifoni Denim: men's and women's sportswear; Mauro Grifoni Accessories: mens' and women's; Mauro Grifoni: kids' wear for boys and girls aged between 2 and 14.

In the founders' trio, Mauro Grifoni is charged with the role of Creative Director for men's wear, while Maria Sesso is Creative Director for women's wear and Andrea Breda acts as Managing and Financial Director. The headquarters are in Caldogno, near Vicenza, as they've been from the very beginning. A new, 3,000 square meters, luminous and minimal space was opened in 2004, employing around 60 staff members.

Distribution is handled by the Mauro Grifoni showroom in Milan, on via Amatore Sciesa, and also by a network of agents.

The Mauro Grifoni brand is present in markets as diverse as Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain, Austria., Switzerland, Russia, Holland, Belgium France and Greece, and is expanding towards the United Kingdom and the United States of America.