Understated, refined, and effortlessly luxurious, Loro Piana is a byword for Italian elegance. But its rise from a Piedmont textile mill supplying cashmere to top luxury brands into a fashion powerhouse in its own right owes everything to New York. In 1994, Loro Piana opened its first concept store in Manhattan between Park and Madison Avenues, a blueprint for boutiques and shop-in-shops worldwide. There, the maison showcased textiles alongside its first in-house clothing piece, the ineffably chic Grande Unita scarf. Woven from cloud-like cashmere with delicate fringing, it features the signature frisson finish, which uses a comb of vegetable fibers to fluff the material and enhance the color and texture. This fall, Loro Piana marks its New York origin story with a window takeover and exclusive merchandise at Bergdorf Goodman, honoring the city where quiet luxury was born.
From October 17 to November 3, all six windows at Bergdorf Goodman’s women’s store and the three facing windows at its men’s store across Fifth Avenue are devoted to Loro Piana—a rare honor reserved for only a select few brands. The displays transform the maison’s unparalleled fibers and expert craftsmanship into whimsical, immersive vignettes tracing cashmere’s journey from farm to department store. Baby cashmere goats float above golden scales in Inner Mongolia, miniature trucks carry precious bales to Italy, and Quarona artisans inspect fabrics under magnifiers, before revealing a finished scarf. Loro Piana’s logoless logos punctuate the scenes as subtle nods to its heritage, from the thistle in its coat of arms, historically used for carding, to the creamy light-brown kummel color.
At night, a dynamic light-mapping projection of a dancing thread animates the façade, celebrating the maison’s 101-year legacy. The celebration continues inside, where Loro Piana unveils a curated selection of exclusive pieces, including a gray cashmere ensemble paired with a tonal-print cloche hat, a shearling micro bale bag, and a silk foulard with a Central Park motif. At the heart of the experience is the personalization corner in the women’s accessories shop, where shoppers can customize the Unito blanket—a supersize Grande Unita designed for cocooning—and the scarf that started it all. They can choose from a spectrum of colors, from earthy neutrals to vibrant reds and blues, and add bespoke embroidery to create a piece that feels uniquely their own. Each item is an invitation to touch, from the supple cashmere to the precise stitching, quietly affirming Loro’s enduring commitment to craftsmanship and elegance.
