by 
MILAN — Luca Rubinacci, part of the third generation of the Rubinacci tailoring house, is the epitome of the Neapolitan gentleman. His affable and stylish name may sound familiar, not only because of the history of his family business, which dates back to 1932, but also because he is a bona fide Instagram personality, part of the wave of effortlessly well-dressed Italian men taking on the Lenses from street style photographers cannot escape.
His charming manner and social profile helped lead the Rubinacci company successfully into modern times compared to other well-known names in Naples’ famous tailoring tradition. “We are a business reality, not just a fashion reality,” he told WWD.
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Now the brand is set to make its debut in the official program of Milan Fashion Week. For Rubinacci, this move is intended to send a strong message that the company is ready to take its ready-to-wear ambitions to the next level, with the ultimate mission of evolving from an excellent tailor into a fully-fledged international brand.
The presentation, which the company will hold on January 20 at its sprawling store on Via Gesù here, will showcase the company’s expertise in casual tailoring as well as easy-to-mix, versatile and casual pieces made from premium fabrics. “Everything had to work effortlessly because you need to give the men as few headaches as possible,” joked Rubinacci, who serves as creative director.
Once again, he also proved to be the brand’s best ambassador by teasing what he called “today’s suit” during the interview, consisting of a black corduroy safari shirt and matching pants that he could wear over a black turtleneck his signature colorful bracelets peeked out of a cuff.
Other key pieces for Fall 2025 will range from deconstructed wool blazers and six-button double-breasted jackets to the Ulster wool coat with a detachable back belt and reissues of the best-selling military-inspired Manny trousers with double pleats and tapered legs. The collection is rounded off by accessories such as ties, scarves, hats and slippers.
A strong focus was placed on textures and colors, as Rubinacci emphasized that the brand “does not tend to use checks, stripes or other eye-catching patterns to attract attention, but instead opts for monochrome solutions.” Choose the subtle one Cashmere and the soft wool in heavy weights and the elegant seasonal palette with reddish purples, chocolate, gunmetal and military greens.
The goal of the ready-to-wear push is to fill a gap in the market by offering an entry-level luxury price point for casual-chic pieces that attract a broader — and younger — audience to the brand. The share of this category in total sales 10 years ago increased from 20 percent to currently 60 percent, while the rest is generated from tailor-made orders. Rubinacci said sales rose 20 percent to about 10 million euros in 2024 and that the long-term goal was to eventually achieve a 90-10 percent split between the company’s two categories.
Yet bespoke tailoring remains the crown jewel of the Rubinacci experience, not only because of its historical role, ongoing demand and positioning purposes, but also because it fuels the creative engine of ready-to-wear fashion.
“My bespoke clients are my inspiration for our collections,” said Rubinacci, emphasizing that the one-on-one appointments are always arranged in the presence of a family member. “When I get to know customers and create a bespoke wardrobe for them, I can understand each individual’s needs,” he said, adding: “It’s difficult to create something new these days, especially in tailoring, unless you’re one Fashion brand that deals with trends.” ”
When Rubinacci joined the family business around 2000, after stints at Savile Row’s Huntsman and a decade of mentoring Sergio Loro Piana, the company was delivering 300 bespoke suits a year. Within 10 years, this has resulted in more than 1,000 hand-made suits, each of which requires around 54 hours of work and now costs an average of 7,500 euros. But in 2022, despite rising demand, Rubinacci decided to limit orders to 800 per year to increase exclusivity and focus on ready-to-wear, which boomed after COVID-19.
The Milan showcase promises to provide further impetus and increase brand awareness among fashion suppliers and buyers. The company, which has flagship stores in Naples, Milan and London as well as e-commerce, can also count on wholesalers such as Isetan in Tokyo and companies such as MyTheresa and Mr Porter, but is aiming for a broader physical expansion in the US and the United States Middle East to East, which are two of the three most important markets alongside Europe.
Next, Rubinacci also plans to expand into women’s clothing, another category seen as full of potential, considering that female customers have already quietly grown to 100 of the 800 custom-made orders mentioned above.
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