The year 1865 marked the start of a tale of authentic passion for wool for Reda, a leading Italian producer of fabric for tailoring men's clothing.
After almost a century and a half, 2007 marks another milestone for the company looking further into the China market by introducing its "natural gentleman" concept.
Representing classic made-in-Italy quality and taste, Reda has extended its touch from Italy to China with a client list of top domestic men's fashion brands that showed their designs at the China International Clothing and Accessories Fair last month.
Reda already supplies wool to many of the world's luxury clothing makers, including Versace, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Armani, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint-Laurent.
"I am extremely proud to present our collections here in Beijing. It marks a true milestone for us globally, and more importantly here in China, by extending our innovative expertise in fabric creation to leading Chinese brands," says Ercole Botto Poala, chief executive officer of Reda.
"Our partners in all the world's top luxury brands have also brought the Reda logo to the China market on their premier garments, so now we also see great potential here in cooperation with leading Chinese men's clothing producers to offer affordable luxury suits to Chinese consumers," he adds.
Affordable luxury
Reda supplies wool to many domestic men's garment producers that make business suits priced above 5,000 yuan, Reda says.
"We pride ourselves on our innovation and technology, but most importantly we would like to share with Chinese consumers our love for the creation of fabrics that travel across the world as a reflection of our quality and excellence in handcraftsmanship. So through our refined processes, we present the 'natural gentleman'," says Poala.
"The fabrics we offer to Chinese consumers are the same that we provide to the world's top luxury brands, using the best wool we can find and the world's leading technology in our Italian factory," the CEO says.
With Chinese men's garment makers "low tailoring cost, Chinese customers do not have to pay as high a price for the world's top luxury and appreciate our quality and fashion", says Poala.
"I also believe Reda may help Chinese brands raise their reputation in the global market," he adds.
Over the last decade the international reality and perception of China has changed significantly, especially after its admission to the World Trade Organization and the winning bid for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Joining the evolution, Reda opened its own commercial office in Shanghai five years ago and now it is preparing to make its debut in Beijing.
Relationships with Chinese clothing manufacturers are "arranged upon an absolutely equal basis, precisely due to the fact that both parties can benefit only from detailed mutual knowledge", says Poala.
There are several similarities between the Reda wool mill and China a respect for tradition, attention to technological progress and continuing efforts to improve quality.
"These are all essential aspects creating a common language, which together with the experience of the Shanghai office, proves the intention of the Reda wool mill to become an integral part of the change underway," he says.
'Natural gentleman'
"Our contemporary male does not follow fashion, he chooses it. Consequently, a new concept of the male lifestyle is born: the Reda 'natural gentleman'," says Poala.
"This natural gentleman is a refined man, one who understands luxury's true meaning in terms of high quality and pure elegance, not ostentation. He appreciates the finer things in life such as pure fabrics coming from natural origins, and pays great attention to detail in his dress style and lifestyle."
He says the young generation of Chinese is looking for that type of style. "The issue is not only having the best, but being able to enjoy it as well," says Poala.
"In making choices, especially in clothing, the quality of raw materials is of the utmost importance. Touching a fabric and feeling its quality means being able to choose the luxury of excellence," he adds.
"For these reasons, we bring our latest fabrics into China to share our heritage with Chinese partners and consumers and to create an equal exchange, which I consider the strongest basis in order to build a perfect partnership," says the fourth generation of Reda's leadership.
He also tells China Business Weekly that Reda is the only wool fabric maker in the world that has its own ranches to breed sheep.
"We insist on technological innovation during natural fiber manufacturing processes. The result represents the evolution of a company which chooses to continue its production in Italy and which directly controls the entire production chain, from the breeding of sheep in the three company-owned ranches at Glenrock Station, Rugged Ridges and Otamatapaio Station in New Zealand right up to the finished product manufactured exclusively in our factory in the Valle Mosso of the Biellese region in Italy," says Poala.
Because the 30,000 sheep at Reda's three ranches cannot meet the company's entire demand, it also sources wool from Australia.
Reda presents its new collections to its clients twice a year, proposing an average of 2,500 fabric variants as the result of its research and pursuit of perfection in wool yarn.
