Italian menswear brand Manto Italia expands in Canada and South Korea, eyes growth in Japan and the US
With a shared passion for refined tailoring and premium materials, Elisa Bosi, Luca Testa and Antonella Arpaia founded Manto Italia in 2016 in Mantua, northern Italy. Their goal: to deliver authentic men's elegance through discreet detailing and true Italian craftsmanship.
'All three of us come from the fashion world. Two of us have commercial backgrounds, and one has focused more on product and production,' co-founder Elisa Bosi tells FashionNetwork.com. 'That said, we're not your typical salespeople—we were deeply involved in product development in our previous roles. We have extensive knowledge of textiles, quality control, and every part of the value chain, from sales to, well, even chasing overdue payments,' she adds with a smile.
'We built Manto with a different mindset. In many large companies, sales teams and designers often work in silos, creating a gap between market needs and the final product. We wanted to change that—to create a closer, more responsive connection with our clients. We've also always preferred cashmere over wool, positioning ourselves firmly in the premium-to-luxury segment. We're not Cucinelli, of course—but we operate in that space.'
'We strongly believe in genuine Made in Italy,' Bosi explains. 'Not everything that carries that label truly deserves it. That belief was the foundation of our company—we wanted to preserve Italian craftsmanship in its place of origin before it fades away.'
Manto Italia partners exclusively with specialist workshops across Italy, many of which also work with leather and technical fabrics alongside cashmere. Most of the textiles are Italian-sourced. The lotus flower—native to the lakes around Mantua—has become a recurring motif in the brand's recent collections, representing renewal and a unified design identity.
The United States has long been Manto's top market, with the brand stocked in around 80 stores across the country. 'We've always had a global outlook, and even back when slim fits were trending, we stuck to a regular fit, which has always been better received internationally,' Bosi explains. 'We've invested heavily in the U.S.—attending trade shows, operating showrooms, and organizing trunk shows. In other regions, especially Europe, the high cost of Made in Italy means we operate differently.'
As a result, Manto's European presence remains selective, with points of sale in Russia, the UK, and a few key retailers in the Netherlands and Spain. The brand is performing well in South Korea, where it is stocked in three top-tier boutiques and a new retail collaboration is set to launch in Seoul. Growth is also expected in Japan, where Manto's aesthetic aligns closely with local tastes. Distribution is also accelerating in Canada, where the brand has secured a new local partner to build on its existing footprint.
Manto Italia's strategic priorities include deepening its presence in the U.S., expanding in Asia through carefully chosen collaborations, and cementing its position in the contemporary Italian luxury segment while staying true to its roots. For 2025, Bosi also highlights a key new focus: the Italian domestic market. Since the Winter 2025/26 season, the brand has appointed a new local partner to help develop its home market, which currently includes just a handful of clients.
'This is why we see Pitti Uomo this June as the perfect stage to reintroduce ourselves—to share our vision with a closer audience,' says Bosi.
Manto Italia's revenue rose by double digits in 2024. 'After a major boost post-COVID, our growth plateaued slightly, but in our most recent selling season, we saw a 20% increase in the U.S.,' Bosi notes. The brand does not yet operate an e-commerce platform but maintains showrooms in Milan and New York. 'Opening an online store is definitely one of our future plans,' she adds.
The Spring-Summer 2026 collection, presented at Pitti Uomo, includes around 100 pieces and explores the balance between structure and softness—between premium materials and measured silhouettes—offering a relaxed elegance and effortless luxury grounded in authentic Italian style. The collection features natural, noble fabrics such as linen, linen-wool, ultra-light summer wool-cashmere and suede-finished cashmere blends. Its palette combines soft yet decisive tones: mint, lilac, sky blue, beige, brown and navy.
Key pieces include 'Fulgor,' a lightweight suede biker jacket with a modern cut and urban sensibility; 'ROS,' a printed safari-style piece crafted from airy fabric with an exclusive lotus flower motif symbolizing rebirth and harmony; 'Strozzi,' a cropped pure-linen jacket with contrasting suede trim, offering clean lines, hidden pockets and a casual-luxury feel; 'GUG,' a hybrid shirt-jacket in wool-linen double cloth with invisible pockets and tailored construction; 'Iris,' a feather-light suede cardigan blending innovation and tradition; and 'Deck Zip,' a technical mid-season jacket made from stretch microfiber, lined with ultra-light jersey for maximum comfort and versatility.
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