Elkann Launching Denim Line Tonight in ItalyBy ALESSANDRI ILARI
Jan. 31, 2008
MILAN – The volcanic Lapo Elkann has found a high-wattage launching board for the debut of the Care Label denim brand – the amFAR dinner that will take place tonight at Cipriani.
Mixing goodwill and business, the scion of the Fiat dynasty will present the year-old Care Label jeans line and will auction off a special black tinted style with a detachable black diamond rivet that turns into a pendant.
“I firmly believe in Care Label’s creative ideals and I’m happy to be part of this challenge because I don’t think the denim market is saturated but offers stratifications that are open to a very specific and high-end product,” Elkann told DNR in an exclusive interview.
Made with selvedged denim on 50-year-old shuttle looms, the tight-fit jeans have metal buttons and rivets in natural copper and steel. They feature a “Care Label for amFAR” tag and 20 percent of the wholesale price will go to charity, an initiative that will be prolonged after the auction.
Aside from Elkann, who has a 25 percent stake in the project, the majority shareholder is designer Leopoldo Durante, whose denim stints have included consultancies for Evisu, Lee and Wrangler and Enrico Gallo, who owns Torinovantuno, the brand’s worldwide distributor.
Adverse to fads, Care Label wants to position itself as a niche brand that places the focus on quality, top fabrics, dyes, finishes and erstwhile manufacturing techniques. “We want to make this a beautiful product and only offer variations of one product - jeans,” Elkann said.
After a spring capsule collection that was picked up by a dozen upscale Italian retailers, fall 2008 officially marks Care label’s main thrust into the fashion world. The offering includes jeans served up in 15 different treatments and 12 fabrications.
The men’s and women’s fits range from slim to soft and wholesale from $124 to $161. It is expected to post $7.3 million sales this year with 20 percent annual growth over the next two years.
Care Labels buys its denim from Japanese leader Kurabo, treats it at Martelli, the Italian company at the vanguard for washes and finishes. It educates the consumer of the workmanship by printing summarizing the process inside the pants.
There’s also an organic style made with eco-friendly cotton and dyes or an exclusive model with a green-white-red selvedge representing the Italian flag.
After having struck a deal with Isetan in Japan, Care Label hopes to secure 50 top retailers in the U.S and 100 points of sales in Europe in the first year.
