Isaia

Neapolitan fashion house established in the 1920 and ’30s of the last century as a fabric store. It was one of the pioneers of the Neapolitan tradition with Mariano Rubinacci, Kiton, and Borrelli. Established in Casalnuovo at the end of the Second World War, Isaia was already at the third family generation. Very closely linked to the city, it began its ascent by creating business relationships with the most important fashion houses of Naples. In 1957 Enrico, Corrado, and Rosario Isaia opened their first workshop-factory. In the late 1960s the company’s production reached 200 pieces a day. The characteristic that distinguishes every suit is its tailoring and artisan’s finishing. These virtues launched the company to the conquest of foreign markets. In many of Isaia’s shops, a tailor takes the client’s measures and manufactures a custom-made suit. The company is directed by Gianluca Isaia, who hired Douglas Anderson from Dior to design an eponymous collection, and Sonia Rykiel. The international presentation of the new collection occurred at the New York headquarters of the company on Fifth Avenue. Isaia was among the promoters of a quality hub under construction near Marcianise, in the area of Caserta, where 160 small and medium-sized companies operating in the territory were to gather. Since September 2003 the firm has been active in running a course of traditional tailoring for about twenty young people.