MILAN — In just a few seasons Mordecai has garnered the attention of press and buyers with its luxe take on streetwear and sportswear references, secured a regular slot on the Milan Fashion Week calendar, and started its international expansion at key retailers.
For one, this month it debuted at Bergdorf Goodman with a corner, strengthening its presence in the U.S., where it was already sold at the likes of H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles since its pilot spring 2024 collection presented last year.
The first solo gig of Ludovico Bruno, Mordecai was officially launched in 2022 with an initial investment of 3 million euros. The brand is a three-pronged business partnership between the Italian designer, the Riccardo Grassi showroom and manufacturing company Hostage, which is the main shareholder. Part of the Holding Morelli based in the Tuscany region — which also includes the Pellemoda leather apparel maker and the Aga 15 outerwear manufacturer — Hostage was established in 2007 and is a premium supplier for luxury brands.
In an interview with WWD, Hostage’s partner Azzurra Morelli underscored how Mordecai has been able to gradually grow thanks to Bruno’s distinctive viewpoint and Grassi’s commercial strength and connections. In the first half of the year, the brand generated around 580,000 euros in total sales, but Morelli expects to close 2024 with 1.5 million euros in total sales.
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She addressed the curiosity sparked by the emerging brand and the wearability of the clothes as big drivers of this performance.
“The designs are all lightweight: Ludovico loves to experiment with different types of padding and with light fabrications, that can work for different temperatures and occasions, spanning from traveling to on-duty moments,” said Morelli. “There are even pieces that could work on a red carpet. So this versatility of designs and shapes really works. Plus, Mordecai can dress many body types. It started as menswear but women could find pieces to wear, too.”
Bruno is no newbie. He started his career as a knitwear designer at the elbow of Edward Buchanan, before moving to Moncler to work on the Gamme Bleu and Gamme Rouge lines with Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli, respectively, and then becoming head designer for Moncler Genius. A consulting career for brands including Ambush and Farfetch’s private label There Was One, among others, preceded his solo venture.
With Mordecai, the designer made an immediate impact with an appealing study on loose yet measured silhouettes featuring rounded shoulders and roomy pants that still accented the waist, and with a cool blend of outerwear, tailoring, nods to martial arts and cross-pollinations of different cultures, from North Africa to the Far East.
Staples include super lightweight puffers in maxi proportions; judogi-inspired jackets that can fit any body with their button-less and minimal shape; shawl-collared overcoats, and pants with deep folds opening below the waist and tapering at the ankle. Wardrobe archetypes like parkas, windbreakers and field jackets add to the options.
“Puffers are for sure among the best performing items, considering both Ludovico’s and Hostage’s expertise,” said Morelli. “But there’s great attention also on the sartorial pieces, like the kimono jackets. Knitwear is not among the bestsellers at the moment but buyers like it a lot, and it works for both men and women.”
Not surprisingly, fall collections are Mordecai’s forte and account around 65 percent out of total sales.
Also for this reason, Morelli projects a strong beginning to the new year, boosted by the presentation of Mordecai’s fall 2025 collection. To be staged in Milan on Jan. 18, this will also have a heightened focus on womenswear, so far relegated to a few looks reprising the men’s silhouettes. The upcoming fall 2025 collection promises to see fits differ and new feminine shapes.
The goal is to rebalance the brand’s offering, as menswear currently accounts for 80 percent of total sales and Morelli sees a big margin of growth in womenswear.
Positioned in the entry luxury segment, Mordecai’s collections are largely Made in Italy via Hostage’s manufacturing facilities, although certain garments — such as jersey pieces and windbreakers — are crafted abroad. T-shirts offer an entry price of 190 euros up to 590 euros; shirts retail between 390 euros and 590 euros; knitwear is priced between 490 euros and 1,300 euros for cashmere pieces, while outerwear’s price tags go from 690 euros up to more than 1,300 euros.
“The price range manages to be appealing for different clusters of customers,” said Morelli. “There won’t be differences for women’s. Plus with womenswear we can play a little bit more, even if for the moment it will still be very essential and faithful to the menswear vision.”
After the presentation in Milan, the brand will display the new collection at Riccardo Grassi’s showroom in Paris to further tackle the French market. Mordecai has secured a presence at Printemps starting from the spring 2025 collection, but is also available at the likes of L’Eclaireur and Gisele So in Paris and Jacques Loup in Cannes.
To be sure, the assortment’s expansion will go hand in hand with distribution. Sales in Europe currently account for 65 percent of total revenues, with the Italian market representing 30 percent of this share. In Italy, Mordecai is distributed at the likes of Antonia and Biffi in Milan, while doors in Europe include Harrods in London — where the brand also set up a pop-up last year — as well as retailers in luxury resort destinations, such as Lorenz Bach and Trois Pommes in Gstaad and Antora at Baden-Baden.
At the moment, the retail footprint includes around 60 doors globally, comprising Beymen in Istanbul, Isetan in Tokyo, Lane Crawford in Shanghai and Hong Kong and Joyce in Hong Kong.
The company’s priority now is boosting the American market, as Morelli is aiming to add between six and eight new doors next year, also thanks to a partnership with Christophe Desmaison’s CD Network showroom.
The overarching goal is to reach around 80 doors in 2026, and double the count in the longer term, after 2027, also to support key investments.
“The e-commerce is part of the long-term strategy because we believe we need to consolidate the physical presence first,” said Morelli. “Our plan is to reach at least 150 doors worldwide for total revenues between 3.5 million euros and 4 million euros after 2027. This would allow us to sustain important investments, like those needed to launch an online store and to potentially think of opening a flagship store in the future,” she said, adding that after the consolidation in the U.S. in the next two years, the focus distribution-wise will shift to Asia.
As for Hostage’s parent, Holding Morelli counts 330 employees and totaled 86 million euros in sales last year. It expects to end 2024 reporting a decrease to 80 million euros due to contrasting performances of the firms under its umbrella.
