Serapian expands its retail reach to the US

Quiet luxury has been fashion’s favorite buzzword this past year. For those whose style gravitates towards this mood with or without the latest lingo, it’s not a passing fancy, but a way of life.

Its purveyors, such as Serapian Milano—the 95-year-old leather goods brand operated by the third generation of the family, but owned by luxury group Richemont—have been on their radar thanks to their unique, yet understated, handbags and accessories.

Serapian has begun to make a bit more noise in the market lately by expanding its reach, while retaining its slow-batch approach. FashionNetwork.com spoke to CEO Maxime Bohe at the brand’s new Madison Avenue ‘shop-up,’ which marks its first retail store in the U.S. market.

Located in a former A. Lange & Söhne watch store between 65th and 66th streets, the space recreates its Paris’ Rue de la Paix temporary location that opened in 2022. Fixtures, display cases, furniture, and artwork were shipped to the New York location to recreate the brand’s artisanal roots, complete with a Milanese craftsman named Paolo, who works in the space’s Bespoke Salotto creating the brand’s iconic Mosaico weave introduced by founder Stefano Serapian in the 1940s.

The demonstration drives home the custom nature of the product, especially its signature Secret Tote bag, created for a Milan client in search of a bag to hold her belongings with a hidden inner pocket in  the Seventies. It’s also a functional style for busy working cities such as New York and Milan.

“Our clients are connoisseurs who want the best from every category; they buy a watch from the watchmaker, jewelry from the jewelry maker, for instance. They want the epitome of each category. We focus on what we are best at, our totally unique bags,” Bohe explained. “They love being asked, ‘Where is this bag from?’  It’s like a club when you spot another person with a Serapian bag; it starts a conversation,” he said of the no-logos-needed bags, noting one customer who customized a bag to match the color of their car.
 
The store, which soft opened in September, will stay open through March, but Bohe didn’t rule out the space becoming permanent. The space’s golden arches and marble floors are a nod to the Villa Mozart brand headquarters in Milan. Inside, the store aims to bring together not only the brand’s artisan wares but also align itself with other metrics of Milanese and Italian art and design, such as the artwork of ‘Scuola Metafisica’ art movement from Serapian family friend, the late Italian artist Giorgio De Chirico. 
 
Contemporary design is also displayed via creations from Doppia Firma, a designer and artisan project presented by Fondazione Cologni.

“We like this dialogue because we feel we are a part of this level of design and craftsmanship,” says Bohe, noting that while they don’t sell the pieces directly, they can connect interested parties to the artists.
 
The leather goods also sit alongside works from Milan photographer Guido Taroni, who captured prominent creative Milanese in their homes.

“It’s the mystery of Milan. It’s more hidden, and you discover the beauty of the villas, palazzos, and gardens behind the doors,” Bohe suggested.

A comparison to the discretion of a Serapian bag is easy to make. Inside the store, other Milanese touches include faux-marble display tables made by a set designer from La Scala theater and customized Mosaico leather Catalina chairs designed by Italian Luigi Caccia Dominioni for the Azucena design collective in the 1950s. The design-centric setting helps to emphasize the designs of the Secret bag and its many iterations, as well as styles from the Meline women’s handbags and the men’s business essentials selections of briefcases and professional backpacks. Prices range from about $1,800 to $7,000. 
 
Currently, the U.S. distribution only exists through Bergdorf Goodman, but Bohe’s next U.S. move would likely be to Los Angeles. The CEO confirmed the brand is currently looking for a permanent location in Paris to follow up its Rue de La Paix temporary location. The Ritz Paris and Le Bon Marche now sell the collection in the French capital, and there are permanent stores in Abu Dhabi and plans for another in Japan.
 
The brand plans to follow up its recent Spring 2024 Milan Fashion Week soiree with an official New York event on October 12.

Third-generation Giovanni Nodari Serapian will be on hand to work one-on-one with clients for a personalized experience ripe with brand history and anecdotes. It’s the type of intimacy that Bohe says expresses the leather goods most authentically.

“Serapian is less about celebrity and more about clients who don’t follow trends. They know what they like and buy Serapian for its values: hand-crafted in Italy using the best leather. This is at the core of its identity.”