(From top) A model tries on an Italian suit at the Blues department store, which is going Italian with a vengeance; an outfit from Wills Lifestyle’s new Italian-inspired collection

It’s called La Dolce Vita and it’s about the good life as only the Italians know how. It’s about everything from awesomely stylish supercars like Ferrari and Bugatti to the last word in fashion from houses like Armani and Valentino. It’s all about living life with more than just a dash of style

And, now it’s here in India ? for anyone who can afford it. “Design and technology have always been our forte,” says Italian trade commissioner, Giancarlo Lamio.

British department store giant Marks & Spencer was once the epitome of high fashion for middle-class Indians who travelled abroad. The annual pilgrimage to London would be the time to stock up on everything from lingerie to shirts. But today’s middle-class Indian, educated in the ways of the world, is looking further afield to places like Italy where high fashion is taken for granted.

Lamio and the Italian companies he works with are suddenly finding a discerning audience for their products. And, so are other Indian businessmen who’ve discovered that anything Italian has selling power. The result is that a handful of top Italian furniture companies turned up for the Interiors International India held in May. And, about 40 top companies will be coming for a second fair in Mumbai in September. Says Lamio, “Indians are eager to try out new things that are not traditional in terms of design. And Italians are equally curious to know what’s on offer in India and they are willing to come and showcase the best that they have.”

We’ve looked at two fields ? fashion and interior products where the Italians are particularly strong and where Indians are buying into Brand Italy.

The well-dressed Indian once went for numerous fittings to his gentleman tailor and the outfit he bought was usually made in a British mill reputed for quality. Today, the man who’s really in the know, is more likely to demand that both the fabric should be Italian and so should the label.

Take a look, for instance, at Sanjay Kapoor, managing director, Satya Paul who knows his Armanis from his Hugo Boss. Paul is fussy about what he’s seen in and has dozens of Italian suits hanging in his cupboard. “All my formalwear is Italian. In terms of men’s formals, the Italians are miles ahead of others. They make the best suits and the perfection comes with the fact that they have been doing it over time.”

Or look at Emeric Christiansen, development manager for a high-end French wine company, who wears only Italian shirts when he wants to step out in style. Says Christiansen, “While an English brand may look classic, that’s about it. The collars, buttons and even the sleeves are stylish in Italian products.”

The love for things Italian has percolated down from the top. Leading tailors like Sachin Vaish of Vaish Tailors in Delhi are clear that times and preferences have changed beyond recognition. “They all want well-stitched Italian suits,” says Vaish, who has been forced in recent times to scale back on his stock of English fabrics. Ninety per cent of his fabric is now Italian and that’s a giant change from the 1940s when Vaish was first set up and the mills of Manchester ruled supreme.

What makes Italian design hot? Says fashion guru Ravi Bajaj, “They think through their design and it’s wearable fashion. English tailoring is also good but Italian workmanship is flawless.” Bajaj has made sure that he’s right out in front and has a manufacturing unit in Italy where his formalwear is crafted.

The Italian Invasion is firmly in evidence when you step inside Blues, a department store in Delhi’s South Extension. Abhay Gupta of the 10-year-old company is expanding the Italian look as far as it will go. By autumn he will re-do the store so that each floor sells one high-class Italian label. That means there’ll be one floor each for Trussardi, Cadini, Corneliani and Versace all under one roof. Recently, Gupta also launched an in-house Italian brand called Sumisura (which means as per your measurement).

Gupta says that price is seldom a consideration for his customers who are looking only for the best. He stocks suits that cost anywhere between Rs 12,000 and a lakh. People who have deep pockets ? Italian-made ones, of course ? can have their measurements sent all the way to Italy where master-tailors will craft a high-class product. That takes about five or six weeks but Gupta has found plenty of customers who feel it’s worth the wait. “Initially, people thought it was expensive. But people who travel widely are willing to go for it anyway,” says Gupta.

Indian brands too are going Italian. Companies like Zodiac and Wills Lifestyle are borrowing their design inspiration from the Italians in a big way. That shows both in the cuts, style and in the names of their different collections. Take a look at Zodiac, which ensures that the Italian look shows through in everything including style, cuts, fabric and colours. To emphasise the point, all its shirt collections have Italian names like Florentine, La Scala, Ravello and Da Vinci. Then, there’s Vicenza for ties. “Our brand and design ethos has always been guided by Italy,” says Kumar Subramanian, vice-president, marketing, Zodiac.

(From top) Arunima Kukhreja at her store, Studio Europa, which specialises in Italian-made home accessories; Italian decorative pieces from Studio Europa; an Italian-style bedroom set from Interior Espania

Similarly, the Wills Lifestyle Autumn Winter collection will have a range of formal shirts and sweaters crafted in Italy. The collections of shirts and sweaters for men and women will be made from luxurious Italian cotton and super-soft cashmere from Zegna Baruffa of Italy. And Pringle, the upmarket brand is bringing out a winter collection in which all the accessories like belts, buckles and ties will be Italian-inspired. Already, the brand uses Italian fabrics for 90 per cent of the shirts that sell in India.

But don’t think that only the grown-ups are going Italian. Even little children can be outfitted in Italian cuts ? even if they outgrow them swiftly. Kads Fashion, an Indian company is cashing in on the Italian craze and has tied up with Monnalisa, an Italian children’s wear brand. The clothes are designed for girls upto 15 years and the company plans to open about 10-15 shops in Delhi. “Under this tie-up, we will be retailing all Monnalisa products in India,” says Bharat Bhaskar, director, Kads Fashion. Adds Piero Jacomoni, president and CEO, Monnalisa, “India is ready to recognise beautiful things.”

The love for things Italian stretches beyond clothes and even travels deep into the home. Innovation, quality and an eye for classic lines are the principles that guide Italian design sensibilities when it comes to furniture and decor. The best Italian design manages to combine a sleek minimalist look with oodles of style. Says architect Sonali Srivastava Rastogi, director, Morphogenesis Architecture Studio, who has designed many celebrity homes, “Fifty per cent of my clients want an Italian decor. The Italians always innovate with new materials and finishes. This happens right from steel to glass to upholstery and to leather.”

Rastogi, for one, is a regular at the annual Milan Fair where the newest trends in furniture are on display. She reckons that it’s a one-stop shop where architects and designers can keep track of the latest happenings in interior design. Says Rastogi, “The Italians look into the hardware of their furniture in an innovative manner. This may not be visible to a common man but as a designer, one knows that this has been achieved due to superior hardware.”

For the same reason, entrepreneur Rachna Khullar says she won’t settle for anything but the Italian look in her home. She has just had her bedroom and living room re-fitted ? everything from beds to side-tables, cabinet and lamps ? with a modern Italianate look. “I like the straight lines and the perfect finish,” says Khullar.

Accessorising the Italian look with artefacts from the land of style is also the order of the day. Arunima Kukhreja who runs Studio Europa in Delhi does brisk business in reproductions of Italian antiques, which she says are flying off her shelves. It’s the same story with other Italian-made products which are far more popular than similar curios made in Spain and Portugal. “Italian products have fared well followed by Portuguese glass and chandeliers,” says Kukhreja. “Prices aren’t a deterrent. After all, our products are handpicked from Italy and we rarely repeat our products. People really love the exclusivity,” she adds. Her Italian products sell for anywhere between Rs 12,000 and Rs 40,000.

Rastogi points out that the love for things Italian is helped by a more organised system. Lots of people these days are opting for South-East Asian furniture but, she reckons, that it can be tough to scout for the right pieces. Says Rastogi, “The problem with the South-East Asian market is that it is not as organised as the Italian market. The Italian decor market is highly organised and is available at Milan. It is accessible unlike the South-East Asian market that is pretty scattered and requires one to travel from one place to the other to really collect what you want. The South-East Asian market is organised when it comes to the commercial sector furniture. On the other hand, Italian is about mostly home decor.”

Quite a lot of people take the love for Italian touches to an extreme. They even insist on Italian switches to complete their stylish look. “We feel that the Indian lifestyle market is centred around the Italian look. And our switches are curvy and minimalist in style but user friendly,” says Murli Dhar Manvi, Deputy General Manager, Crabtree India.

The Italians have always been style gurus to the world and now Indians are hoping they can put oomph back into their life with a touch of Italy.

Photographs of Blues and
Studio Europa by Jagan Negi