Conquering America

The American market continues to grow for Gismondi 1754, which is starting a new overseas chapter with the birth of Gismondi 1754 USA Inc. The project is part of a strategy to strengthen the brand on the North American market with the aim of further development into South America. This expansion plan also includes the recent acquisition of the Valenza-based Vendorafa Lombardi brand, which is already well established in the area. Massimo Gismondi, CEO of Gismondi 1754, tells us about this historic phase of the brand and how the geography of the market is also changing

Gismondi 1754 has placed enormous strategic importance on the United States market, in terms of presence, development and investment seeing that, in the last three years, also thanks to consolidated agreements with department stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and various independent jewelers, it has tripled its turnover. And it is precisely as a result of this that the establishment of Gismondi 1754 USA Inc., a 100% subsidiary of the parent company of which Massimo Gismondi is CEO, was announced in March. «The company was created as a direct presence to consolidate our position in the US,» he explains. «In the last three years, demand for our collections has become ever greater, so the need arose to create an organized structure within the American territory to further what our agent Sobe luxury is still doing. With Sobe we have just renewed a three-year contract, to support the Gismondi USA structure to give a further boost to what, for Gismondi 1754, is the first market.» An all-round operation that not only required capital, but also the deployment of human resources, first and foremost by appointing Giovanni Mattera Vairo as CEO of the newly-formed company based in New York, and located inside a historical building on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. «Mattera Vairo is a professional with great expertise and experience in luxury, who knows how to move the levers of such a fast-moving market.

Gismondi 1754 is currently operating in North America and in Canada, where we recently entered, while the Caribbean is an extension of the US market. Our goal is to strengthen these markets, but also to expand into Central and South America, in Brazil, Peru, Mexico and Colombia. Overseas buyers are not interested in companies that are not adequately structured to do business in the country of organization and efficiency par excellence. We are growing rapidly in the US because we have an organizational chart with precise roles and well-defined managerial figures, which allow us to interface with whoever is in charge so as to have and give fast and timely answers. And with an on-site warehouse to fulfil product requests. This is a very demanding, all-round operation in a challenging and demanding market, which is also undergoing a territorial transformation with provincial towns increasingly outperforming large cities. Dealers in smaller towns are working very well in this moment of decentralization because there is now a greater tendency for people to live in man-sized cities where they want to find the same offer as in the megacities.»

At the product level, seven collections will be sent to the brand's official dealers and distributed to potential customers, as well as the high-level line with limited edition “boutique” pieces, which identify the brand and make for a great showcase. «With this in mind, being at the Couture Show in Las Vegas will be even more significant because we will be presenting the birth of Gismondi 1754 USA and the acquisition of Vendorafa Lombardi, regarding which two aspects should be highlighted. For the commercial side, Vendorafa, in addition to amplifying the already active presence of Gismondi 1754 in the American market, is well structured in Japan. At the same time, Gismondi1754 will support Vendorafa in increasing its presence in the European, Italian and Middle East markets where the Genoese brand is very strong. The two companies will maintain their own product identities and commercial positioning, but will count on synergies at a general level. The other aspect is sentimental. Both companies are custodians of Valenza know-how and Italian manufacturing skills.» Two flagships under the same umbrella, with the real possibility of significant new acquisitions.

Federica Frosini, Editor in Chief VO+