Italian Traditions exclusively meets the protagonists who have written Italian entrepreneurial history. Among these, a name that needs no introduction: Marinella. For over a century, a symbol of elegance and style, his ties have crossed oceans, dressed presidents, kings and men who have left their mark. Today, with Maurizio Marinella, the third generation of the family, we retrace the journey of a brand that is not just fashion, but culture, craftsmanship and identity of Made in Italy.
Giorgio Albertazzi said: “The tie is the emblem of every man who has something noble within him”.
A: Absolutely yes. The tie is the only distinctive item. Now that we all dress in grey and blue, the tie sets us apart. The tie means seriousness, rigour, conveying colour, a beautiful sunny day, one’s personality. The tie is a set of messages that we have been trying to convey in the best possible way for 111 years.
The tie is the men’s accessory that has made the brand famous worldwide. What is the reason for this success?
A: Given that we are not just ties, and we have never been just ties. Since 1914, we have been men’s accessories: shoes, shirts, perfumes, umbrellas, walking sticks, pullovers, knitwear and so on. Over time, ties have cannibalised our other products. Why are they so important? Our ties are still made to measure, so they are obviously shorter for shorter people and longer for taller people. This has allowed us to reach the necks of celebrities who have then become our testimonials.
Any names?
R: Kohl, the German chancellor, we made them 65 cm longer than normal. Yeltsin 35. We made ties for Magic Johnson, using fabric for three ties. All heads of state. From the Kennedy family onwards, all American presidents. Three months ago, we made ties for Felipe, the King of Spain, because he is very tall, so we made longer ties.
On 7 February, I went to Charles of England’s house to bring him some ties from the Orange Fiber collection, a collection of ties made from orange peels, so Marinella ties are unique items and we only make four of each design. We have a new collection every ten days. They are still printed by hand, whereas now all tie manufacturers have them digitally printed. A tie is created according to the customer’s needs, then we add a little colour, a little Neapolitan spirit, a little warmth. We open at 6:30 every day of the year. 6:30 is the latest we open. We open at 6:10, 6:14. The other day we opened at 6:20.
Where do the fabrics come from?
A: 75% of our silks are printed in England. When we started out in 1914, my grandfather went to England because he wanted to create a little corner of England in Naples, so he began importing these ties that were printed in an area near Manchester, I think it’s called Macclesfield. It’s difficult for us Italians to pronounce this word, but we continue to print our silks there. We also use some Italian silks. They are all designed by me, and we continue to do so because we are Neapolitans, traditionalists and superstitious. We started 111 years ago in this space and we continue to print in this beautiful place.
What idea does each Marinella creation convey?
A: The idea of exclusivity, quality, sustainability, genius, Neapolitan warmth, product uniqueness and craftsmanship.
What is elegance for you and how do you combine it with fashion trends?
A: Elegance is feeling good in certain clothes but also following the rules a little bit. However, these rules should not be considered impositions, but rather suggestions. We don’t want to impose anything, but we want to give rules, because unfortunately people have no idea how to dress in the morning, in the afternoon, how to dress in the evening, how to go to the theatre, how to go to a wedding. And on top of that, these mobile phones are completely erasing personality. This is a very busy period for us, for example. Whatever you may think, it’s wedding season. Well, it’s one of the most difficult, hardest times, because advising people on wedding ties is really very complicated, also because, I repeat, there are mobile phones. When you want to see a tie: “Just a moment, I’ll take a photo and send it to my future wife”.
The future wife sends it to her father, the father sends it to the witnesses, the witnesses send it to other people, so at a certain point there are ten people involved in choosing this tie. So, I have to say, it really does get complicated. This completely erases personality. Having experienced business as it was with my grandfather, my father and now with Alessandro… well, I find that there is a real decline and it is a bit difficult to convey rules that must be respected, because we believe that dressing in a certain way is also a sign of respect for people, but mainly also for the places you go to.
Marinella and women
Yes, we like women. We also like them very much in this fun version with ties. We have been selling lots of women’s ties for two years. We have many female customers; paradoxically, our clientele is more female than male, because women come to buy ties for their husbands, partners and so on. So it’s a very fun and enjoyable relationship. Men choose ties in a certain way, women choose them in a completely different way. Men tend to always choose the same thing. What’s more, men own 100 ties but always wear the same four or five. The woman comes in and says, “My husband has them all in blue, I want to get him one in yellow”. That’s a tie that will end up in the wardrobe, and the husband will continue to wear the blue tie.
Next to your logo is a coat of arms. Are you official suppliers to the House of Bourbon?
A: Yes, and also for the British royal family.
And the House of Savoy?
A: We have made some for the House of Savoy. Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia often visits us, and in fact just a few days ago he asked, ‘Why don’t you put my coat of arms on them too?’ Yes, we will, we are very happy to do so, no problem.
Do you give customers any specific advice before they make a purchase?
A: Yes, never come in wearing a jacket. So never try to match that jacket. Choose ties based on your first impression, without thinking too much about it. Don’t overthink your choice of tie; choosing a tie should be instinctive. And then let us advise you a little, because we try to give the best advice. We try to convey great commercial honesty: so if we don’t like how the tie looks with that particular suit, we try not to encourage the purchase, but rather to discourage it a little.
Have you ever received any unusual requests?
A: Sometimes we have accommodated them, other times we have not, but yes. A few years ago, we had a customer who requested ties made from large blades with asymmetrical tips, resulting in two completely uneven angles, but he liked them that way, so we made them that way. Another customer, for example, kept ordering, and still orders, ties with the reverse side printed with the silk pattern upside down. Another customer still asks us not to put the label on, because he doesn’t want his friends to know that he buys his ties from Marinella, keeping it as a kind of secret.
Is there anything in the requests that distinguishes an Italian customer from a foreign one?
A: Foreign customers are completely different. Italian customers are very inspired when it comes to dressing and try to make the right combinations. Foreigners are a little more relaxed, they also choose things that are a little unusual, a little strange, and make combinations that I would say are a little risky, but that’s fine.
Has anyone ever tried to copy you?
A: Yes, we are always copied, so much so that even other tie companies say, ‘This one is like a Marinella collection,’ so we are copied a lot, but also copied in a negative way, because in October, November and December, many fake ties come out. So we are copied in this sense too.
Made in Italy. Do you think there are currently good regulations in place to protect it?
A: Absolutely not. We should do much more, we should do our utmost to protect it, especially historic companies, to protect Made in Italy a little bit. But this applies at all levels, not just in my sector. I also see everything that happens in the food industry, where we in America continue to eat Parmesan, which is actually made in Canada, so in short, much stricter forms of protection, more determined to protect extraordinary things.
Marinella and the South. An added value or a difficulty in doing business?
A: First it was the South, but then Naples in particular conveyed complicated things, difficulties. Now there is a great desire for the South, a great desire for Naples. Naples is the most sought-after city in the world, it is a city where people come and are thrilled to be in Naples. It is a South that has completely changed its face. Now the South means winning the Championship, preparing for the America’s Cup, doing incredible things that perhaps no other region in Italy is doing, so at this moment I feel I can say that there is an explosion of emotions, enthusiasm and vibrations surrounding the South that are incredible. I always go to Japan and every time I go and say I’m from Naples, a completely different light comes on in the Japanese.
You are present in Naples and other Italian cities, but also in Tokyo and London. Are there any new openings on the horizon?
A: No, because we have just opened in Capri, Piazzetta, a very beautiful place. Well, I think we are fine as we are, we have already done a lot, we are artisans and there is so much we cannot do. Personally, but it’s the whole company’s idea, before hanging up our ties, we’d like to open a shop in America. However, at the moment, America doesn’t inspire confidence in us, or at least it inspires a moment of indecision, of uncertainty, so we’re postponing it once again. Many times we have come close to doing it, but then something has always happened that has put us off. We’ll see, we’ll wait and see.
You represent the third generation of the family. What has this generation added compared to the previous one?
A: Each of us took up the baton and carried it forward as best we could, the story of a miracle spanning four generations. Usually, family businesses run into difficulties by the second generation, but we’ve made it to the fourth. I was able to… quote unquote… internationalise the company a little. The company used to be based in Naples, only Naples, but when I took over, I started with Milan, then we moved into Japan, we found space in many corners of the world, such as New York, we went into Bergdorf Goodman, we went into Paris Beaumarchais, we are in Santa Eulalia in Barcelona and so on, in short, about fifteen corners, so I pushed for internationalisation or, in any case, to make the brand known abroad. Alessandro seems to me to be doing something else very important now: sustainability, green, so much so that we have started a collaboration. So we have a new collection of ties made from orange peel waste.
Your son Alessandro, fourth generation: a future more in line with tradition or innovation?
A: I see a future based on parallelism, in the sense that alongside a classic, historic, rigorous Marinella, made up of traditions and history, another Marinella is emerging, which is communication, an e-commerce platform, which had not yet been created. Sustainability, sustainable products, a great focus on the environment, and this was one of the reasons that drew me to it when I went directly to the home, and I emphasise the word “home”, of Charles of England on 7 February, who is very sensitive to these values, and so this new Marinella allowed me to be in the presence of King Charles.
What would you say to a young person who wants to pursue your profession?
A: I would say to continue to focus on a dream, on an emotion. Live an idea, and even if the years pass and times become increasingly difficult, never lose the strength to experience new things with emotion.
What is the biggest challenge for Marinella today?
A: The biggest challenge is supporting craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is difficult, young people are hard to find, but it’s not just me, the big tailors, the handmade shoe makers, manual labour is struggling, so reviving handmade craftsmanship, bespoke work, is the most important challenge to support. But Italy as a whole is rich in many traditions that unfortunately are not being helped, nurtured and supported, and are sadly destined to die out. So reviving craftsmanship, committing to internal courses to prevent this beautiful work from dying out, is certainly the most difficult thing to support.
Text and interview by David Truscello