Is Fedeli the fashion industry's best-kept secret?

In the world of the wealthy, there’s an old saying: “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” In Italy, they express it with far more bite. “The first generation makes it, the second enlarges it and the third kills it,” says Luigi Fedeli with a laugh.

As the third generation to lead his family’s venerable Italian fashion house, he knows the adage well. “It’s what we say back home,” he says with a smile.

He can afford the humour. Luigi has upended the prophecy, quietly evolving Fedeli from a discreet Milanese gentleman’s outfitter into a full-fledged luxury label for both men and women. The house still remains under the radar, but its creations are admired by those who appreciate understatement.

The newly opened Fedeli store in Dubai Mall. Photo: Fedeli

The story begins modestly. Luigi’s grandfather – also named Luigi – was one of 13 children, many of whom were lost to the Spanish flu. Coming from nothing, he opened his first store in 1934, selling gentlemen’s hats in Monza, just outside Milan. A second store followed on Via Monte Napoleone in 1946, as the city emerged from the ruins of war and bombings. “My grandfather opened a shop called Red and Blue. It became famous for made-to-measure shirts. People came from all over the world,” says Luigi.

With a distinctly British sensibility, the shop sold ties, braces, handkerchiefs, belts and knitwear, all handmade to exacting standards. By the 1960s, it had become one of Italy’s cashmere specialists.

When Luigi later joined the family business, he felt its name should match its reputation and prestigious address. “Via Monte Napoleone was the most important street in the world,” he says. “Red and Blue didn’t feel right. So I changed it to Fedeli.”

Looks from Fedeli's autumn/winter 2025 collection.