Italian brand Eleventy aims to make its mark in Beverly Hills
Marco Baldassari and his Eleventy
Directed by Italian architecture studio Parisotto + Formenton Architetti, the two-storey boutique is in shades of beige, white and ecru, matching perfectly the new Autumn/Winter collections for menswear, womenswear and childrenswear, as well as shoes, accessories, home, travel, and fragrances. Services at the new Beverly Hills location also includes alterations, made-to-measure tailoring, private appointments, and a personal shopping service.
“Beverly Hills is a dream come true location,” said Baldassari, co-founder of Eleventy with Paolo Zuntini. “We first opened this location as a pop-up and decided to open our first store in California. Beverly Hills is a very important place as our customers are here and walk in the streets of this neighborhood. We need them! And we are very proud that Milanese style is finally in Los Angeles.”
To stand out from the many Italian fashion houses in Beverly Hills, such as Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli, Baldassari believes in the strength of his “smart luxury” concept.
“We’re unique in the elegant fashion market,” adds Baldassari. “Smart luxury is a combination of sportswear spirit and tailoring details, made with the best products at the best possible price. Our positioning is unique and today makes the difference for our customers.”
Already open in Milan, London and Paris last June, the Eleventy brand began to take an interest in the American market in 2015 with the opening of a first boutique in Greenwich, Connecticut in 2020. Other stores followed on Madison Avenue in New York in 2021, in Palm Beach as well as annual pop-up in the Hamptons. Another boutique will open in Miami in November in the Bal Harbor shopping mall, and other addresses are being evaluated.
“The US market is a huge opportunity for us,” continued Baldassari. “US people love this kind of style and our brand. They match with our elegance and comfort. Our goal is to continue opening in strategic locations. We’ve just come back from South Coast Plaza, where we’re evaluating the opportunity to open a store. We’re also looking at Aspen, although it seems an impossible mission today, with the whole world wanting to open a store there. Our aim is not to open 100 stores, but to grow organically, while retaining the same values that have made our brand so successful.”
Eleventy should also expand in the Middle East, following the entry into its capital of a new investment group from the Gulf region. The latter bought a majority stake in the brand’s former investor company Palladio Finanziaria in 2022.
“With all due respect to my American friends, Dubai is today the number one destination for all luxury brands”, said Baldassari. “The customers are there, and we’ll be expanding there soon.”
The Italian brand hopes to achieve sales of $65-67 million by the end of 2023, and $87-92 million by 2024. Eleventy generates 70% of its sales outside Italy, and has 13 directly-operated single-brand stores and 14 franchises, in addition to around 400 retailers worldwide with a distribution focus on the luxury segment.
