The prime real estate within the spacious Kiton showroom-cum-gallery was dedicated to the label’s newest jackets in ultra-fine, ultra-luxe pure vicuna. Price: $25,000 each, with the two-tone tuxedo grouping in deepened jewel tones maxing out at $30,000. One of their New York stores recently gauged customer interest in advance of its debut here; 15 sold off the rack within a week. CEO Antonio De Matteis beamed as he recounted this anecdote, clearly buoyed by such early enthusiasm, but also aware that the product showcases Kiton’s sky’s-the-limit sensibility. He seemed particularly fond of a “denim” version, as though the heathered blue somehow normalized its rarefied nature. This duality of everyday and exclusive proved to be a recurring theme across other categories, too, such as a new bundled offering, whereby a jacket, shirt, and pants in three different styles each come packaged together in a keepsake bag, aiding those who would rather avoid the exercise of assembling a total look. The outfit is priced at $10,000, which is considered entry level.
Elsewhere, Kiton has developed a new “Natural Stretch” fabric woven with a special fiber that dissolves during production, leaving a noticeable elasticity without reducing the quality. Actual activewear has been newly labeled iSystem, and includes technical jackets with fur lining. While useful, they lack the handsome appeal of more classic coats—namely, a jean jacket lined with beaver everywhere except the shoulders (perhaps to reduce bulk) and a shearling topper à la Love Story.
De Matteis noted that the three-piece suits in micro-patterned shades of gray are aimed at young customers, while much of the hand-crafted leisurewear will likely attract mature customers, what with all their free time. This runs counter to conventional retail wisdom, but then Kiton’s raison d’être is the elaboration of conventional to superlative.
