Luxury Italian clothing company Kiton launches its 2011 collection inspired by its recent purchase of the renowned Carlo Barbera wool factory near Milan. With a legacy of over 60 years in fine wool production, the Barbera factory is the originator of “millionaire cashmere,” a lightweight and refined fiber.
Kiton has used fabric from the Barbera mill for many years, but the purchase gains the company access to Barbera’s traditional techniques.
“We have always made sure to have excellent fabric,” said CEO Antonio De Matteis. “This purchase will allow us to start to make our own fabrics.”
Founded by Carlo Barbera in 1949, the wool mill is situated between Milan and Turin and produces some of the most prestigious textiles in the world. To produce wools using its trademark 15-step production process requires an astonishing amount of time and manpower. As of last year, the average price of its fabrics was $48.75 a yard, according to a New York Times report.
The 2011 collection features cashmere and wool flannel garments, and cashmere and cotton garments. The blends of cashmere with wool or cotton soften the feel of the fabric and update the look of the suits. Colors that appear in this year’s collection include blue, gray, rust, and bottle green.
Characteristic of Kiton garments is that the jackets are made lightweight from inside out. The secret to their appeal lies in the quality of their materials, beginning with the fibers and supplemented by the attentiveness of their highly specialized tailors.
Matteis described the 2011 collection in three words: “innovative, traditional, and passionate.”
As Kiton works ever more closely with the Barbera mill, Kiton’s loyal clientele can come to expect even more unique garments.
The 2011 collection is shown in Kiton’s Milan and Midtown Manhattan showrooms.
