21 hours ago
Smalto relaunches under aegis of new owners
Smalto is beginning a new chapter. The menswear house founded in 1962 by Italian-born couturier Francesco Smalto, which used to dress princes, heads of state, actors, and sportsmen, is being relaunched following its purchase by new investors. The investors are four Parisians active in real estate, linked by their friendship and eager to bring the emblematic tailor back to its former splendor.
The deal closed in 2024, for an undisclosed sum, with shareholder Alain Dumenil. Dumenil had acquired the company from founder Francesco Smalto when he retired from the business in 2001, but never managed to get the company back on track despite various attempts, style teams, and management.
In recent years, the brand had seen its activities shrink inexorably, having halted its international distribution and closed its few points of sale, with the exception of its historic address at the corner of Rue Marbeuf and Rue François 1er, in the heart of Parisian luxury. This will be closed for good in September. The new management is looking to open a boutique in another district, aiming for a new, more accessible positioning. The opening is scheduled for the end of the year or early 2026.
The new owners, who wish to remain anonymous, have bought back the brand name and domain names, creating the new company Francesco Smalto Group. They are starting from scratch with the archives and aesthetic legacy of Francesco Smalto, who passed away in 2015, and the determination to remain true to his image. A team of around ten people has been put in place, and links have been re-established with the company's historic suppliers as well as with new manufacturers to rebuild the production chain.
Targeting three generations
The recovery plan is built around a complementary offer aimed at three different generations.
"The customers of the past, who look forward to reconnecting with the brand they feel orphaned by, their children, aged between 35 and 55, who have also known Smalto, and their children's children, who are going to discover it. If you look at the men's world, there aren't many brands that appeal to different generations in this way," pointed out managing director Bruno Bismuth, who has extensive experience in the luxury and commercial sectors, having worked for Hermès and Kering, among others.
Bismuth is well aware of the difficulties of tackling such a challenge, between a market in crisis and the brand's recent history, which had disappeared from the landscape. But he believes that while this sleeping beauty has indeed fallen into disuse, it has not been overused and has retained its aura. The aim today is to restore it to its former glory.
"We're going to relaunch the first line, called Francesco Smalto, taking up the identity and codes of the house, from the silhouette to the noble materials, including brand-specific details such as the buttonhole at the top of the jacket lapel or the collar cut-out, the concern for fine finishing, the hand-made lining, etc.," he continued.
This first line of some fifty items is made entirely in Italy by the best specialists and weavers, and features the label's signature suits, as well as shirts, jackets, and pants. It will be accompanied by an extensive customization service.
At the same time, a premium line called Smalto will be launched, more accessible with prices three times lower, with suits ranging from 600 to 1,200 euros, compared with prices from 1,900 to 4,000 euros for the first line. It will be manufactured between Turkey and Italy. The aim is to reach a younger, urban clientele who want to get closer to luxury. More extensive, with almost 250 models, it covers the entire men's wardrobe (jackets, suits, knitwear, polo shirts, leather, denim, etc.).
For its comeback, Smalto chose Pitti Uomo, where the label met with some sixty of its former customers, most of whom were won over by the project. At the leading men's fashion trade show, the brand unveiled a first premium collection for spring-summer 2026, offering a rather classic and chic wardrobe alongside the first line, before presenting its offering in Paris, from June 25, in its new showroom and corporate offices near the Trocadero.
The aim is to work again with the world's leading multi-brands. At the same time, the e-commerce site will be relaunched in September, marketing a collection of timeless pieces. In a second phase, with autumn-winter 2025/26, the range will be expanded to include accessories.
