James Bond wore Massimo Alba in No Time to Die at Daniel Craig's suggestion, with Mick Jagger, Jude Law and Coldplay's Chris Martin also fans In fashion's shifting vocabulary, "quiet luxury" has emerged as a shorthand for refinement without ostentation, the idea that true elegance lies not in conspicuous logos, but in the subtler pleasures of cut, texture and ease.
Though the term has gained popularity in recent years - fuelled by TikTok virality and the success of the HBO phenomenon Succession - certain Italian labels were fluent in this language long before it entered the mainstream. Beyond giants such as Loro Piana, Zegna and Brunello Cucinelli, houses like Fedeli, Aspesi and Massimo Alba were already setting the tone, crafting wardrobes built on functionality, investment dressing and authenticity.
Take Italian knitwear brand Fedeli, perhaps the clearest example of how deep these roots run. Founded in Monza in 1934 by Luigi Fedeli, the company began with knitted hats before expanding into the luxury cashmere that would define its identity. From the start, Fedeli drew on both Italian craftsmanship, and knitwear traditions from Switzerland, Scotland and England. His appreciation for the delicacy of cashmere proved decisive: he treated it not as a fabric for rare occasions, but as one for everyday wear.
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Fedeli summed up this vision in the phrase "The Luxury of Style", a motto that spread globally even as the house remained rooted in Italy. Today, Fedeli's offering extends beyond cashmere into a full ready-to-wear line-up - think rainproof bomber jackets, lightweight polos, structured shirts and even swimwear, all crafted with that same quiet luxury ethos.
"I think people are familiar with the more well-known luxury Italian brands, but customers are always interested in discovering, and being educated about, brands that they might not have heard of," says Daniel Todd, buying director at luxury men's e-tailer Mr Porter. "Brands like Fedeli offer a relaxed take on Italian luxury that is easy to wear while still offering the sophistication that is synonymous with Italian luxury and heritage."
Aspesi, founded in Legnano, Italy in 1969 by Alberto Aspesi, channels the same spirit through technical innovation. The company began as a shirtmaker before evolving into ready-to-wear with a focus on function over embellishment. In the late 1970s it introduced one of its enduring icons, the down jacket, reimagining technical outerwear as a versatile staple. Other pieces like the Mod.13 shirt and the field jacket became signatures, their longevity rooted in fabric research and functionality. With campaigns shot by renowned fashion photographers Peter Lindbergh and Paolo Roversi, the brand has long aligned itself with a more intellectual vision of style.
The ethos of understated refinement is also central to Slowear, which unites several specialist houses under one philosophy. Its story began in 1951, when Incotex was founded in Venice to produce trousers for workers and the military. By the 1960s, Incotex had evolved into a specialist in smart casual trousers, combining technical expertise with sharp tailoring. Over time it was joined by Montedoro for outerwear, Zanone for knitwear and Glanshirt for shirts. In 2003, these were consolidated under the umbrella name Slowear. Today the group operates internationally, but its ethos remains the same: clothes that resist trends and seasons in favour of quiet luxury, decades before the phrase gained traction.
Within this family, Zanone extends the philosophy into knitwear. Founded in 1986 by Alessandro Zanone, it quickly earned a reputation for luxurious natural fibres such as merino wool, cashmere, yak, linen and silk. The brand's signature IceCotton has become a calling card. Produced by twisting extra-long fibres into a compact yarn, it creates a fabric that is strong, breathable and wrinkle resistant while retaining cotton's lightness.
If Slowear is about timeless polish, Massimo Alba pushes the idea of lived-in elegance. Made entirely in Italy, the brand runs six monobrand stores - from Milan to Forte dei Marmi - and was launched in 2006 following Alba's stints at Malo, Agnona and Ballantyne. Conceived initially as a gift for his wife - eight wardrobe essentials - the label set out with a decontracte (relaxed) aesthetic: unstructured cuts, muted tones and garment-dyed fabrics that give each piece a soft, emotional quality.
That sensibility reached the screen in 2021's No Time to Die, where Daniel Craig's James Bond wore Massimo Alba in several scenes, including grey corduroy trousers, a desert-brown baby-corduroy suit, and a long-corduroy duster coat. Craig, already a fan IRL, had worn the brand off-screen and chose to bring it into the film himself. The decision cemented Massimo Alba's association with discreet refinement. Beyond Bond, the label counts Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Mick Jagger and Coldplay's Chris Martin among its fans.
Barena Venezia brings the story back to Venice, where its roots lie in local workwear traditions. Founded by Sandro Zara in the 1960s but designing full collections only from the 1990s, Barena draws on garments once worn by fishermen, farmers and gondoliers, reinterpreted for modern life without losing their utilitarian roots. Its relaxed silhouettes, open-weave linens and soft tailoring evoke an effortless nonchalance.
Unlike many of its peers, Barena has stayed firmly rooted in place, filtering Italian style through a local, artisanal lens. That singularity has resonated far beyond Venice: while not a celebrity label in the conventional sense, Barena has built a following among actors including Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Daniel Craig, whose off-duty wardrobes reflect the brand's classical identity.
At a time when fashion cycles faster than ever, these Italian names have built their followings quietly. Their ethos isn't about hype, but about how clothes are worn and lived in - proof that while "quiet luxury" may be trending, its foundations in Italy run deep.
"Product comes first with any brand that we buy, and we are always thinking about the end customer, their lifestyle and how these brands might fit into it," says Todd. "The approachable aesthetic of these brands means that we can feel confident that they will appeal to a wide range of customers."
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