MILAN — Harmont & Blaine, the brand known for its dachshund logo, is making its debut Stateside, opening Friday its first directly operated flagship at Miami’s Aventura Mall.
The boutique signals the Italian brand’s big ambitions in the U.S. market to round off its presence in the American continent, where it already boasts brisk business in Central and South America.
“We believe in that market…we think it’s a territory with great affinities to our product offering and a lever to expand our international footprint,” said Paolo Montefusco, the company’s chief executive officer.
The 1,076-square-foot boutique decked in ultramarine blue contrasting with the resort-nodding light wooden decor, is to carry the brand’s men’s and women’s collections.
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The store is to be followed in the first half of 2025 by a second unit at the Brickell City Centre.
“This is our entry to the country where we want to invest with determination,” Montefusco said. “Our e-commerce business in the U.S. has given us confidence that local consumers are positively receptive to our offering.”
Harmont & Blaine’s DNA is rooted in understated casualwear seen through a colorful and mood-boosting lens. Based in Naples, Italy, the brand was founded in 1995.
“The Italian and Neapolitan style are more frequently associated with formalwear. Other countries have ruled the casualwear segment, including the U.S., but I believe that Harmont & Blaine has been able to give its interpretation of it, the Italian way,” the executive said.
Against a dampened economy and macroeconomic headwinds, the Aventura Mall store opening signals that the brand’s positioning in the premium segment of the fashion market has proved to be a boon.
In 2023 the company’s sale stood at 100 million euros and Montefusco projected a single-digit increase in 2024.
“This has been a more complicated year, marked by headwinds and increased costs…the market is undoubtedly experiencing a crisis and if in the past this was spotty across geographies, now it’s a more globalized one,” Montefusco said.
“Every company needs to take actions in sync with its ambition and state of business and the U.S. are key for us, especially Florida,” he said.
The executive is careful but not worried about President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of higher tariffs, which could have an impact on fashion products. “Trump has been president before and there has been typically a difference between his statements and his actions. His [political] DNA is rooted in ‘America First’ but I think when it comes to actions, balance and compromises will be found because markets are interconnected,” Montefusco said.
In 2025 Harmont & Blaine will map out its next steps in the U.S., aiming to boost its presence in the country over the next three to five years.
Elsewhere the company sees 2025 as a year of consolidation. The company has had a historically strong market penetration in Europe, with countries such as Spain becoming the focus in recent years. Late last year Harmont & Blaine opened a flagship on Madrid’s Calle de Serrano and Montefusco plans to roll out a retail presence in key resort destinations in the country.
In Europe, Montefusco is currently looking at Germany and the DACH region for further growth, although he said caution is mandatory in light of the uncertain economic outlook.
Also in 2023 the Italian brand debuted two stores in Dubai inside the Citywalk mall and a corner at Galeries Lafayette, expanding its footprint in the Middle East, a fast-growing region. Ditto for Hong Kong, where it doubled down with a new boutique this year.
Overall, the brand boasts 81 flagships, 75 corners and shops-in-shop as well as almost 500 stockists globally. The brand is owned by investment vehicle Bassotto 2.0, which in 2022 bought out 40 percent of the shares in the company previously held by private equity fund Clessidra SGR.
