Ballantyne starts again from scratch and opens its very first new store

Ballantyne has returned to Milan’s luxury district  to start a new chapter in its history. The long-standing Scottish cashmere label, founded in 1921, was sold last year by Italian investment fund Charme Investments to Veneto entrepreneur-designer Fabio Gatto, through the Corso Italia Ltd company. After the setbacks of the last few years, Ballantyne is now starting again from scratch, opening its very first new store.

The 50 m2 store, upholstered in black velvet, was recently inaugurated at 18 via Bagutta, Milan. It will act above all as a laboratory in which the label will be able to test collaborations with other premier Italian brands.

The idea is to use it to showcase special projects, which will be then rolled out to the rest of the retail network, such as the project with Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella perfumery, the first of these upmarket collaborations.

After acquiring the label, Fabio Gatto has entirely reorganised the business, bringing cashmere production back to Scotland and overhauling the whole distribution network. In one year, the women’s collection’s share of sales has notably grown from 10% to 50%.

“This store represents a crucial stage in the brand’s relaunch experience, allowing us to stay closer to our Italian customers, while also having a top-notch international showcase ,” stated the President of Ballantyne in a press release. For the current year, the revenue forecast is €5 million.

“The store’s interior design showcases all the aesthetic and functional options we will offer our partners for the development of the retail channel, via retail corners and shops-in-shop throughout the world,” he continued.

For the new store’s inauguration, Ballantyne presented the ‘Heritage’ capsule collection, featuring the label’s distinctive lozenge pattern and focusing on two motifs, one animal-themed, the other floral.

Ballantyne new store Milan

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