Corneliani

Company of ready-to-wear men’s fashion owned by two brothers. Fratelli Claudio e Carlalberto Corneliani was started in the 1930s in Mantua by their grandfather, and put itself on a solid footing in the second half of the 1950s, after having closed during World War II. The entrepreneurial policy of the two brothers calls for heavy investment in technology in order to improve product quality. In 1974, a license agreement was concluded with the French clothing designer Maurice Renoma, guaranteeing an increase in turnover of 33%. In 1980, the Corneliani brothers acquired Abital, a company from Verona, from Montefibre, after reorganizing and strengthening it, advancing their position in the international market for men’s clothing. The company has different lines: Corneliani is a classic Collection; Trend is more in tune with changes in fashion; Set is dedicated to young people; Via Ardigò offers a “formal informal” style of self-assured elegance; and Sportswear Corneliani is focused on sports and leisure time. The Group’s products also include other brands, such as Nino Danieli, Full Time, and Browngreen. There are 1,300 employees who each year produce 450,000 jackets and coats, 250,000 trousers, and 200,000 shirts, ties and knitwear garments. The firm has a large turnover (around 180 billion liras in 1998), and by 1974 had already expanded beyond Italy to the American market. In 1998, the company signed an agreement with Polo Ralph Lauren for production and distribution in the U.S., even though it had already in 1986 established Corneliani USA Inc., with headquarters in New York. The plants are in Mantua and Verona. They boast of being technological leaders, and of being pioneers in the “mechanization of the area models.” Corrado Corneliani, a member of the fourth generation, studied, together with the staff of Milan Polytechnic, new electronic solutions related to manufacturing and to scanners for custom-made “to-your-measure” products. In 1997, a showroom was opened on via Montenapoleone in Milan, right on the spot where the mythical Salumiere (an old Milanese store) once stood. The Autumn-Winter 2002-2003 Collection is presented in the frescoed rooms of the palace on via Durini in Milan: classic tailored clothing, with a refined taste for details. Besides the more traditional fabrics, such as herringbone patterns, Prince of Wales, and tweed, Corneliani presents many velvet and chalk-stripe items, with double or dotted lines, as well as many grey, beige, steel, and cognac-colored suits and coats. The styles of the Trend line are more casual and practical, and less expensive, but equally accurate in the cut and choice of fabrics.
Agreement between Corneliani and the Chinese firm Shanghai Aloai Trade Limited Company calling for the establishment of a plant in Shanghai which is to manufacture men’s clothing starting from Spring 2003. In the first year, production is expected to be 100,000 coats and jackets and 100,000 trousers. There will be 350 employees at the start, and more within three years. Corneliani will provide stylistic support, know-how, and technologic guidelines.
The opening of a new boutique in Mexico City, in a building on Avenida Masaryk. After openings in Milan, Paris, and Ekaterinburg, the Group has targeted Central America.