Buy your new favorite leather jacket and fight the tyranny of retail markups in one fell swoop? Sign us up.
Armadio is a new e-commerce marketplace that brings luxury Italian fashion straight from Tuscany’s best craftsmen—the same ones that design and manufacture leather goods for brands such as Prada, Gucci, Max Mara, and Brunello Cucinelli, and come from generations of artisans. (Because as much as we like to think different brands equals different supply chains from top to bottom, that’s simply not the case.)
Founder Matteo Mattia Gemignani is a Tuscany native himself, and after moving to New York City, he was struck by how much retailers charged for Italian-made handbags, shoes, and garments, while in his hometown, the same products could be found for a fraction of the cost. With Armadio, he and co-founder Pierluca Martella have partnered with local manufacturers to bring their designs to the international market at up to 70 percent less than what you’d find at stores in the States. None of the pieces have ever been available outside of Italy before, which means you can pull an, “Oh, this old thing? It’s from a market in Tuscany.” and not be totally lying.
When we got a preview of the collection earlier this week, our conference room filled with the luxurious scent of fresh leather—which we imagine for these guys smells like home. The leather jacket is buttery soft—really everything you could ask for in a classic moto, but in a rich, unexpected olive green (for all you purists, black is next in the pipeline). The black leather boots, too, were damn near perfect: no studs, straps, or grommets—just simple, beautiful shoes. (Precisely what you’d expect from an artisan who’s made footwear for Chanel.) Bags are covetable—although several styles are awfully similar to those belonging to a certain brand that starts with M and ends with –ansur Gavriel. My favorite was the bright and peppy crossbody, which retails for an attainable $199.
The site has made the Everlane-esque effort of including behind-the-scenes looks at the workshops—worth a look if you’re into the idea of knowing more about where your wardrobe comes from.
Ahead, shop some of the best pieces from the debut collection.
Armadio