MILAN — Luca Rubinacci, part of the third generation of the Rubinacci tailoring house, is the quintessential Neapolitan gentleman. Affable and stylish, his name might sound familiar not only due to his storied family business tracing back to 1932, but also because he’s quite an Instagram personality, part of that wave of effortlessly well-dressed Italian men that can’t elude the lenses of street-style photographers.
His charming ways and social profile contributed to successfully ferrying the Rubinacci business into modern times compared to other household names of Naples’ famous tailoring tradition. “We’re an entrepreneurial reality, not only a sartorial one,” he told WWD.
Now the brand is set to make its debut as part of Milan Fashion Week’s official schedule. For Rubinacci, the move is meant to launch a strong message that the firm is ready to push its ready-to-wear ambitions to the next level, with the ultimate mission to transition from excellent tailors to a full-fledged international brand.
The presentation it will host on Jan. 20 in its expansive store on Via Gesù here will display the firm’s prowess in relaxed tailoring as well as in easy-to-match, versatile and casual pieces cut from top-notch fabrications. “Everything had to be effortless because you have to give men the least headache possible,” joked Rubinacci, who serves as creative director.
Luca Rubinacci
Courtesy of Rubinacci
Once again, he proved to also be the best ambassador of the brand, teasing during the interview what he dubbed “today’s suit,” made up of a black corduroy safari shirt and matching pants to wear over a black turtleneck, with his signature colorful bracelets peeking from a cuff.
Other key fall 2025 pieces will range from deconstructed wool blazers and six-button double-breasted jackets to the Ulster wool coat with a detachable belt on the back and new iterations of the bestselling, military-inspired Manny pants with double pleats and tapered legs. Offering a full look, the collection will be rounded off by accessories such as ties, scarves, hats and loafers, among others.
The Ulster coat, part of the Rubinacci fall 2025 collection to be presented at Milan Fashion Week.
Mattia Valerio/Courtesy of Rubinacci
A strong focus was put on textures and colors, as Rubinacci underscored the brand “doesn’t tend to use checks, stripes and any bold pattern to garner attention but opts for monochrome solutions instead.” Cue the fine cashmere and soft wools in heavy grammages and the polished seasonal palette including reddish purple, chocolate, gunmetal and military green hues.
The goal of the ready-to-wear boost is to fill a gap in the market by offering an entry-to-luxury price point for casual-chic pieces that are drawing a wider — and younger — audience to the brand. The category went from accounting for 20 percent of total sales 10 years ago to the current 60 percent, while the remainder is generated from bespoke orders. Rubinacci said revenues were up 20 percent to roughly 10 million euros in 2024 and that the long-term aim is to eventually have a 90-10 percentage split between the company’s two categories.
A blazer from the Rubinacci fall 2025 collection.
Mattia Valerio/Courtesy of Rubinacci
Yet bespoke tailoring will remain the jewel in the crown of the Rubinacci experience, not only for its historic role, sustained demand and positioning purposes, but also because it fuels the ready-to-wear’s creative engine.
“My bespoke clients are my inspiration for our collections,” said Rubinacci, underscoring that the one-to-one appointments are always made in the presence of a member of his family. “Getting to know clients and building a custom wardrobe for them, I can understand the needs of each,” he said, adding that “today it’s difficult to create something new, especially in tailoring, unless you are a fashion brand dealing with trends.”
The Rubinacci atelier in Casandrino, near Naples.
Courtesy of Rubinacci
When Rubinacci joined the family company around 2000, after stints at Savile Row’s Huntsman and having had Sergio Loro Piana as a mentor for a decade, the firm used to deliver 300 bespoke suits per year. In 10 years, these grew to more than 1,000 handmade suits — each requiring about 54 hours of work and now coming with a 7,500 euro price tag on average. Yet in 2022 Rubinacci decided to limit orders to 800 per year despite the increasing demand in order to enhance exclusivity and focus on ready-to-wear, which boomed after COVID-19.
The Milan showcase promises to build further momentum and heighten the brand awareness across fashion operators and buyers. The company, which has flagship stores in Naples, Milan and London and its e-commerce, can also count on wholesalers such as Isetan in Tokyo and the likes of MyTheresa and Mr Porter, but is eyeing a wider physical expansion in the U.S. and Middle East, which are two of its top three markets along with Europe.
Inside the Rubinacci store in Milan.
Courtesy of Rubinacci
Next up, Rubinacci is additionally plotting a product extension to women’s wear, another category seen full of potential considering that female customers already quietly grew to account for 100 out of the aforementioned 800 bespoke orders.
