Santoni pursues international expansion with focus on the USA and France

By

Elena Passeri

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 25, 2019

Luxury footwear brand Santoni is driving ahead with its international expansion strategy. The Italian brand generates 90% of its revenue outside the domestic market, and is focusing especially on the USA, as its general manager Giuseppe Santoni told FashionNetwork.com at Milan Fashion Week.

 
“We have decided to take direct control of the American market by opening an office there, in order to run it and expand it further,” said Santoni. “In Asia, we are well-established in Japan and we have a presence in Taiwan, Korea and South-East Asia. Our next target is China. In markets like the Middle East and Europe, especially France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, we have a settled presence,” he added.
 
On the retail side, Santoni is setting its sights on France, where the brand already operates four shop-in-shops in Paris. “In May, we opened a women’s shoes concession at Galeries Lafayette, we are present at Le Bon Marché and the Georges V hotel too. We are currently assessing a possible opening in Nice, and one in an area of Paris where we aren’t yet established,” said Santoni.

 
At the same time, Santoni enlarged its Italian factory by 6,000 m2, upgrading the production line and opening a staff canteen. The company also set up specific business units for its various lines (men’s and women’s shoes and accessories), all under the supervision of Giuseppe Santoni.

“The women's line is performing well and now accounts for 35% of total revenue; in general, the company is growing at a steady rate year after year, we closed 2018 with a 15% increase and this year we will still finish in positive territory, though growth may be a little slower,” said Santoni.
 
For the Spring/Summer 2020, the brand teamed up with US designer Sofia Sanchez, creating a capsule collection that is a declaration of love and respect for the oceans, inspired by the colours and creatures of the sea, like shells and coral.

“Our company has been making eco-responsible choices for over 10 years. The factory has been built using recyclable materials, our plastic usage is very limited, we are equipped with photo-voltaic solar panels which generate more energy than we use, and we recycle rainwater for industrial purposes,” said Santoni.

 
Santoni's main women’s collection for next season features masculine design elements like the double-buckle model, the lace-up brogues and the penny loafers, all of them reinterpreted in chic, feminine fashion. The colour palette is inspired by Santoni’s recently renovated via Monte Napoleone store in Milan, and ranges from orange to pastel blue to a wide variety of neutral colours reminiscent of the sky at dawn.