American store, Coach, on the streets of Florence, Italy.
If you walk down the busy streets of Florence, Italy, there is a high chance you might find someone wearing a Levi’s shirt. The bright red logo on a plain, white shirt is a fashion trend popular among Italian men and women. Levi’s, however, is not an Italian brand; it is an American brand. Are American fashion brands dominating the streets of Florence?
Besides Levi’s, several other American fashion brands can be found in Florence such as Calvin Klein, Coach, Fossil, Guess, Michael Kors, Timberland and Victoria’s Secret.
American stores, Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors on the streets of Florence, Italy.
San Francisco company, Gap, stocks its Italian stores entirely with New York styled collections. Italian needs are addressed when it comes to the collection’s fits, sizes and styles. The company wants a global perspective on its brand across countries.
Gap was a clear hit among Italians who love the North American design aesthetic. After the opening of the first Gap store in Milan, Italy, ten more opened across the country.
As an American tourist, the sight of these retail stores might make you feel right at home. You may feel prompted to step inside and spend all of your euros on an outfit you can simply buy at your local mall. This might be because of brand loyalty or the comfort of knowing the brand has good quality.
American stores, Fossil, Guess and Timberland on the streets of Florence, Italy.
Among these American retail stores are Italian boutiques and leather stores. Both American and Italian retail stores in Florence, Italy are competing against each other because they share the same customers.
“We have a lot of tourists come here and buy our clothing,” said Matteo Querini, owner of Boutique Nadine in Florence, Italy.
Owner of Boutique Nadine, Matteo Querini (left) and employee (right) in Florence, Italy.
Boutique Nadine is filled with beautiful, colorful Italian clothing and jewelry fit for women ranging from teenagers to adults.
“It’s a different target of items that we sell,” said Querini when comparing his store to American retail stores. “We have all brands made in Tuscany and some parts of Italy.”
Querini said the clothing at his store is unique and authentic to Italy. By shopping at
Boutique Nadine, you will be contributing to the growth and prosperity of a small business.
You also don’t have to worry about showing up to an event in the same outfit as someone else back at home either.
Some tourists actually prefer shopping at Italian stores instead of American stores because they value authenticity.
Marissa Montes, an American tourist and lover of all things shopping, recently bought a handmade, Italian dress for about 400 euros and said it was worth every penny.
“[The dress is] beautiful, the quality is amazing, custom made, chiffon and that’s what I really enjoyed,” Montes said.
Montes also mentioned that she is trying to break away from the American style of clothing and that she hasn’t shopped at any American stores during her time in Italy.
“From what I seen, the quality is not any different from shopping at Forever 21 in America,” Montes said.
Marissa Montes, American tourist, posing with her handmade Italian dress in Florence, Italy.
It may be interesting to note that some American fashion brands change its lines when expanding internationally. So, you might be able to buy a clothing item unique to Italy from an American store too.
This is the case for Tommy Hilfiger, an all-American brand company that produces one collection for the United States and one collection for the rest of the world.
Tommy Hilfiger noted the many differences between the United States and Europe before coming to the conclusion to make two separate collections. Some differences include taste, language, wealth and size. In turn, revenue for the business skyrocketed in 2009. European sales for Tommy Hilfiger equaled 707 million euros compared to its U.S. sales of over 500 million dollars.
Italian Brands in America:
Italian fashion brands leave an impact on the United States as well. The popular clothing store among American teens and young adults, Brandy Melville, actually originated in Italy. Silvio Marsan, producer of merchandise for several other Italian brands, founded the company in the 1990s.
The first Brandy Melville was opened in Italy in 1994 and it wasn’t until 2009 that the company was launched in the United States. It was actually Marsan’s son, Stephan, who was responsible for bringing the brand overseas. Quickly after the launch, Brandy Melville became one of the hottest clothing labels for teens. It actually ranked number one in up-trending brands in 2014 beating American brands such as American Eagle, Free People and Urban Outfitters.
Other big-brand companies are now trying the emulate the huge success of Brandy Melville. For example, In 2015, American Eagle launched a new sub-brand to steal back some of its customers. The sub-brand, Don’t Ask Why, is marked as being ““made in Italy in unique one-size-fits-most silhouettes.”
By expanding internationally in areas like Florence, American fashion brands hope to be successful just like Brandy Melville. This is why the streets of Florence look weirdly familiar to your mall back home.
Other popular Italian brands that are successful in the Unites States include Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Versace and Diesel.
American Fashion That Became Italian:
Apparel, scarves and shoes printed with the American flag are must haves for Italians. Even popular Italian brand, Scout, attaches the Starbucks logo on some of its clothing for women.
Fashion inspired by America is a clear must for Italians customers. In terms of business, companies seek out American fashion brands too.
For example, Italian company Luxottica Group bought the Ray-Ban brand from Bausch & Lomb Inc. in 1999. The famous sunglasses, made popular by Tom Cruise in Risky Business, are now popular in Italy and can be bought in almost every sunglass store.
Be sure to choose wisely before you shop at a retail store in Florence. Are you looking for a piece of clothing exclusive to Italy or would you rather stick to a brand you know and love? Either way, the stores in Florence have so many beautiful clothes to offer. Take your time to try on pieces of clothing because Italy doesn’t believe in a return policy. Happy shopping!