NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue today announced a multi-year partnership with the Italian Trade Commission (ITC) to highlight Italian Craftsmanship. The collaboration kicks off this Father’s Day and runs through 2017. The Father’s Day 2016 menswear initiative will celebrate the unmistakable cachet of Italian artistry by showcasing the country’s illustrious brands and coveted style in all 40 Saks Fifth Avenue locations worldwide, as well as on saks.com.
“Saks is thrilled to honor the heritage of its Italian brands and the storied history of Italian artistry,” said Thomas Ott, Senior Vice President, General Merchandising Manager, Saks Fifth Avenue. “This is the second year we have partnered with the Italian Trade Commission to drive awareness for goods sourced from Italy, and we hope the partnership will continue to inspire and to enlighten our Saks customers stateside about the beauty that is the Italian craft.”
The initiative includes a 23-page Saks Fifth Avenue Father’s Day catalog, dubbed “The New Italian Renaissance”. The catalog, photographed entirely in the old country, features all the best native brands. Beyond the catalog’s street-style editorial, Saks will integrate the initiative into its Father’s Day Gift Guide, saks.com, the Saks’ EDITION, social media, in-store events, marketing and visuals. In addition, each Saks Fifth Avenue location will highlight Italian Craftsmanship within select window displays, featuring Italian-made product and details unique to the Italian craft.
“In our craft manufacturing process the final product is unique and extremely high quality,” said Licia Mattioli, Vice President for Internationalization - Confindustria. “The creativity and design behind the “Made in Italy” productions are the driving force behind our small and medium-sized companies. Fabrics, leather, stones may be outstanding but they are still raw material that needs stunning design and production before they can reach high end stores like Saks Fifth Avenue. So we are proud to have more Italian brands at Saks and we cherish this prestigious window display's opportunity”
“For the second year in a row, the Italian Trade Commission celebrates Father's Day in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue to showcase the excellence of the Italian tradition and high quality in men's clothing and accessories,” said Roberto Luongo, Director General ICE - Italian Trade Commission. “Saks' flagship and stores across the USA will host corners of Italy, where daughters and sons can turn their love and gratitude toward their fathers into unique “Made in Italy” gifts.”
The partnership with Saks is part of the “Special Plan for Made in Italy fashion in the USA”, supported by the Ministry of Economic Development to promote Italian exports of the fashion industry (apparel, footwear, leather and leather goods, eyewear, cosmetics and jewelry).
Customers may visit saks.com for local event listings or join the conversation on Instagram via @saks_mens and #SaksMen.
ABOUT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world’s pre-eminent specialty retailers, is renowned for its superlative American and international designer collections, its expertly edited assortment of handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and gifts, and the first-rate fashion expertise and exemplary client service of its Associates. As part of the Hudson’s Bay Company brand portfolio, Saks operates 40 full-line stores in 22 states and Canada, five international licensed stores and saks.com, the company’s online store.
ABOUT THE ITALIAN TRADE COMMISSION
The Italian Trade Commission is the Italian government agency entrusted with the mission to facilitate contacts between Italian companies and the rest of the world. In the United States our objective is to expand relations between Italian and American companies and to develop trade between Italy and the US. Our global network counts 79 offices in 65 countries. In the US, we are located in New York, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami (www.italtrade.com).
