Wardrobe essentials do not always have to be an investment, but when it comes to coats, expert construction and luxe materials make a difference to their longevity. Mastering both bespoke tailoring and comfort is where Italian fashion house, Loro Piana, shines with its heritage steeped in craftsmanship. Starting out as wool merchants in 1814, the Loro Piana family has come to solidify the Northern Italian brand’s status as the first port of call for cashmere. Six generations on, the late Sergio Loro Piana greatly transformed the family business into the luxury behemoth we know today upon taking the reins in 1975.
A savvy businessman who dedicated his life to the brand, Sergio embodied the label’s spirit of carefree simplicity in the finest fabrics. He was hardly seen without an immaculately tailored jacket, always reaching for the Ulster coat in his wardrobe during the colder months. The coat’s lightweight wearability was an innovative design amid the popularity of heavy winter coats. It has since become symbolic of Loro Piana, reflecting the charm of its late vice-president and savoir faire of the brand’s artisans. Given the Ulster coat’s abiding appeal, Loro Piana’s rejuvenation of the piece is timely for its autumn/winter 2022 collection. The new Sergio Loro Piana coat takes inspiration from the Ulster and pays homage to the brand’s sartorial touchstones.
Details such as broad lapels, placket pockets and below-the-knee length that are evocative of the Ulster are carried forward in this contemporary update. Meanwhile, a Melton undercollar, cotton reinforcements and a range of colours—dark claret, desert mist and navy blue—are new additions to the Ulster coat’s original design. And like any quintessential garment from the Italian house, the Sergio Loro Piana coat boasts incredibly soft baby cashmere that is water repellent thanks to the brand’s Rain System technology.
Set to be the next design icon of the Italian house, the Sergio Loro Piana coat exudes elegance with exquisite discretion. Amid trends of logo-mania and dopamine dressing, the quiet luxury that Loro Piana offers speaks volumes about the timelessness of quality craftsmanship. As acclaimed author and journalist Nicholas Foulkes puts it: “Such luxurious fabrics worn with an apparent carelessness rooted in an insouciance that takes a lifetime to master; this is the flame that has continually drawn me moth-like to Loro Piana.”
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