Elisabetta Franchi has opened its first U.S. boutique in the Bal Harbour Shops in Miami.
Established in 1998 by designer and entrepreneur Elisabetta Franchi, the Italian fashion house is known for modern femininity and sophistication and dressing influential women worldwide.
“I am truly honored to bring Elisabetta Franchi to the Americas, beginning with the prestigious Bal Harbour Shops, a destination that perfectly reflects our brand values and aesthetics,” said Franchi. “This opening marks an important milestone in our journey, and we are excited to share our vision and passion with a new international clientele in Miami.”
The new 1,029-square-foot boutique offers a full array of Franchi’s ready-to-wear and accessories, including the brand’s signature Boulevard and Avenue bags. The Boulevard bag combines practicality with style, while the Avenue Bag has a spacious, supple design for a busy lifestyle. Along with the brand’s patent leather heels, they are entirely crafted in Italy.
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Gabriele Maggio, chief executive officer of Elisabetta Franchi, said, “We decided Miami is the perfect reach between the North American customer and the South American customer,” he said. He said that their business is really strong in South America, although they have no stores there.
Maggio said the U.S. market is an important market for them, and he believes the Miami store will be great in building awareness and energy for the brand. He said Bal Harbour is a top location in Miami.
In the U.S., the brand will launch with Saks Fifth Avenue with the spring 2025 collection collection in stores, including New York, Beverly Hills and Houston.
The brand’s main business is ready-to-wear, which is the driver of their business globally. “We are increasing dramatically our business in bags,” said Maggio, who became CEO last December.
According to Maggio, the main goal of the store “is for us to deliver the excitement and energy at the store level that Elisabetta brings to the company and her collections.” He said the core business is dressing for cocktails, evening and red carpet, while they also have a strong business in daywear and tailoring. The brand has mostly been developed in Europe and Italy.
Dresses range from $500 to $1,000; special evening dresses go up to $3,000; jackets are $700 to $1,200, pants are $380 to $600, leather jackets are $1,300 to $1,600, shoes are $500 to $850, and bags are $700 to $1,100. Everything is made in Italy.
Maggio said they’ll open a 100-square-foot pop-up in Palm Beach on Nov. 15, and are targeting Los Angeles and New York for additional permanent boutiques. In the future, they’d like to add eyewear, fragrances and jewelry. They already have a small custom jewelry capsule.
Asked about sales expectations for the Bal Harbour store, Maggio said, “very high” but wouldn’t give specific figures.
Reflecting Franchi’s refined sophistication, the new boutique has an airy interior accented by a cream color palette, wood paneling and mirrored walls. Clean lines and opulent minimalism create a modern environment. Maggio said they had the support of an interior designer who helped with the furniture, but everything else has been developed internally at the company.
Maggio said next year they will introduce a design concept for a new Milan flagship.
Ready-to-wear accounts for 80 percent of Franchi’s business, and Maggio anticipates that dresses will initially be the bestsellers in Bal Harbour. “I think in the future it will be the daywear part of the collection and jackets,” he said. So far, they’ve gotten good reaction to “cool, cocktail dresses.”
Globally, Franchi has 120 stores. The brand’s most important market is Italy, followed by the rest of Europe and the Middle East.
Franchi and fashion industry veteran Marco Bizzarri, who is an investor in the brand through a personal holding called Nessifashion, will host an exclusive event Dec. 4 during Art Basel. Bizzarri, the former chief executive officer of Gucci, became chairman of Elisabetta Franchi last April 15.
The Miami flagship opens with Franchi’s fall 2024 collection, recently launched in an ad campaign featuring Taylor Hill, styled by Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Luigi & Iango.
The store will add cruise in a few weeks and will debut spring in December.
The Miami flagship will be the first location globally to showcase early releases from the brand’s spring 2025 “Femme Paradox” collection, which balances masculine and feminine aesthetics. It features structured jackets, delicate lace, tulle and corsetry details. It runs the gamut from tailored trousers to romantic, ultra-feminine dresses.
