Minimal LUXE

These three designers create elegant, understated pieces that transcend seasonal trends, favouring craftsmanship, function and comfort. It’s time to believe the hype...

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LORO PIANA

Established in 1924 in northern Piedmont, Italy — home to generations of shepherds who lived simply, spinning and selling wool from their sheep this quiet luxury brand has gradually been making more noise.

LVMH acquired a majority stake in the Italian heritage house in 2013, and it has since expanded into leather goods and modernised its image. Among its high-profile fans are Gigi Hadid, Sofia Richie Grainge, Dakota Johnson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Stone.

However, the brand, which has been handed down through five generations, hasn’t compromised its core values. For Loro Piana, everything starts with the fabric. From the underfleece of Capra hircus goats in Mongolia to the rare vicuna fibre sourced from the Peruvian Andes, every material is chosen for its quality and performance.

The launch in 2008 of its Baby Cashmere line, sourced from young goats and made possible by a decade of work with local herders, highlights the brand’s careful, long-term approach. Vicuna is valued for its rarity and fine texture, and is collected only once every two years.

Design at Loro Piana is invariably understated. Take the softly cocooning Grande Unita scarf, developed in the 1980s and still a bestseller today. Its restrained appeal lies in the blend of pure cashmere, tonal colourways and impeccable finishing.

Due to the high quality of the materials, fabric-cutting is a task reserved for only the most skilled artisans. Loro Piana relies on traditional Italian craftsmanship and a deep commitment to quality, with every garment undergoing an exacting and time-intensive production process.

The brand combines this traditional craftsmanship with a technical mindset. In the 1990s, the development of Storm System made natural fibres weatherproof, without compromising their softness or breathability. Why settle for scratchy synthetics when you can have a gentle, high-performance weave?