HAPPY 90th CANALI!

Stefano Canali, President and CEO of Canali Group in conversation with Manish Mishra, on crafting timeless luxury and the heritage brand's 90th- anniversary capsule collection

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The 90th anniversary is a significant landmark in any brand's history. Canali celebrated this milestone with a celebratory event at the historic IFBE, Mumbai, last year. The celebration presented the heritage Italian brand's Anniversary Capsule Collection, which trained the sartorial focus on the two iconic garments of the design house — the overcoat and the suit — reimagining and reconciling them with contemporary finesse.

ELLE caught up with Stefano Canali, President and CEO of Canali Group, over a Zoom call. Warm and approachable, he breaks the ice instantly as he speaks about the Canali jacket he's wearing. "The jacket I'm wearing is unlined, no shoulder pads; it feels like a sweater while it has the shape of a jacket," he quips.

In the ever-evolving menswear space, Canali notes that for a brand renowned for the impeccably crafted formal wear with precision and exactitude, it is important to embrace this change, and that's what the company has done over the last nine decades. Over to him...

ELLE: For the past nine decades, Canali has been a paradigm of luxurious men's elegance.. What has changed, and what has remained the same?

Stefano Canali (SC): I can write a book (laughs). Over the last 90 years, the brand has gone through eras, cultural shifts, and major turning points. A heritage brand like Canali must remember that no matter what changes, the way the brand evolves must be consistent. What we've learned over the last 90 years - stay true to yourself while reinventing yourself.