Fusco

Antonio (1942). Italian designer. He exalted the great tradition of Neapolitan tailoring with his refined and precious hand-worked offerings. Part of a family that was a dealer in fabrics for interior décor, at first he attended design school, and then he enrolled in specialized courses in New York, Montreal, and Paris. In Istanbul, for the Cerruti group, he created and managed a clothing line. In 1976 he decided to return to Italy and settle in Milan. He opened a factory, which was a kind of source for ideas, and which allowed him to introduce his ideal of artisanal manufacture to the industry. He grew in the world of fashion, but often went against the stream: to the frenzies of prêt-à-porter he responded with a certain discretion and a manic attention to his work. Since 1979 he has been supported by his wife Patrizia. A major part of his line is the men’s jacket, made lighter, thinner, and unstructured, but maintaining the construction of the shoulder for which Neapolitan tailoring is famous. Fusco, who brought to women’s clothing the aplomb of the male wardrobe, invented the Milano jacket, the Portofino tailored suit, and the Montecarlo and Vienna coats. In 1999, he signed an agreement with the Inghirami Group, which is among the leaders in Italian clothing and textiles, and which, since the Spring-Summer 2000 collection, has managed the world-wide entire production cycle of the new Antonio Fusco Gold Signature line.
Antonio Fusco and GFT mutually decide to end their license agreement starting with the Autumn-Winter 2001 season. They have differences on strategy: the Neapolitan designer wants to “take back” the direct management of the production and distribution of the women’s line, while GFT is geared more to a partnership relationship than a license.
The Fusco men’s collection is to be produced and distributed world-wide by Tombolini, a holding company from Urbisaglia in The Marche. Besides the clothing brands Tombolini and Regent (acquired in 2001), it produces and distributes Mugler, Givenchy, and, more recently, Romeo Gigli. The license agreement between Fusco and Tombolini is to last three years starting with the Spring-Summer collection 2003. More than a license, it is a partnership, as president and general manager Fiorella Tombolini emphasizes, given the continued collaboration with Fusco, who still retains control of the stylistic part. The agreement envisions new distribution strategies: Italy will remain an important market, but the company wants to also develop markets in Europe, the U.S., and Japan. It also sees a parallel expansion into eastern Europe and Russia. Single-brand stores are also planned, starting with Paris.
Tombolini ends the year sales of €60 million, Fusco with €15 million.