Almost every city in Italy has a Via Roma, which is almost always located in a central area, but the best known in the world is undoubtedly LuisaViaRoma (LVR), a historic Made in Italy brand, a digital pioneer worldwide, and a leader in luxury e-fashion!
From France to Italy via Brazil
It all began in the late 1920s when fashion designer Luisa Jaquin married Florentine Lido Panconesi and opened a straw hat boutique in Paris. One day, Lido, a big gambler at the horse races, lost everything at the Arc de Triomphe, and the two were forced to flee to Brazil, where they made their fortune. Within a short time, they managed to return to Italy, and Luisa opened a small hat shop, this time in Florence, on Via Roma.
More than just hats
Soon, the business expanded from hats to clothes, but it was Luisa’s nephew, Andrea Panconesi, who gave new impetus to the company. Thanks to his work as a visionary buyer capable of intercepting big fashion brands – he was the first to discover Kenzo and the only one to sell it in Europe – he succeeded in transforming LuisaViaRoma into an international brand of reference in the world of luxury.
But Panconesi’s activities did not stop there. At the end of the 1980s, the manager understood the importance of interacting with customers, even those overseas, and thus founded ‘Westuff’, the first exclusive magazine to deal with fashion, music and art.
Digital pioneers
Things change fast, and the digital revolution is already upon us. Thus, in 1999, Luisaviaroma.com, a pioneer website of worldwide e-commerce, was created. In 2008, it became an independent marketplace coveted by all the most prestigious luxury brands. Pianconesi’s secret? Never stop: ‘E-commerce is only the beginning of the revolution of the shopping experience; what lies ahead is an exceptional path, we are moving towards virtual reality,‘ he recently told Il Sole 24 ore.
Business and commitment
Thanks to Panconesi’s three children, Luisa, AnnaGreta, and Nikolaus, LuisaViaRoma is also involved in charity work, with worldwide events in support of Unicef and with LVRSustainable, a digital platform that conveys cultural and social values through a section dedicated to brands that focus on being sustainable, eco-friendly, and plastic-free.
Nell’agosto 2020, LuisaViaRoma ha celebrato la propria storia con il lancio di un libro in edizione limitata, pubblicato da Rizzoli New York, LuisaViaRoma – Window To a Future Fashion World. Per ogni copia di questo libro, è stato piantato un albero in collaborazione con Treedom.
Today, LuisaViaRoma, with Andrea Panconesi as President and Alessandra Rossi as CEO, has headquarters in Florence and 300 employees. Its turnover is millions of euros, and it is the world leader in luxury e-commerce for women, men, and children.
Congratulations to those who bring Made in Italy luxury to the world!
Learn about other Made in Italy outstanding companies in fashion.