MILAN — “We never betrayed our customers.”

Toni Scervino, chief executive officer and cofounder of the Ermanno Scervino brand with designer Ermanno Daelli, attributes this consistency in style, pricing and fabric research to the constant and gradual growth of the brand, leading to a loyal customer base over the years.

“The special craft, the Made in Italy quality, the precious fabrics and yarns, the continuous experimentation with dyes and washes, the elaborate finishes… all these contribute to loyalty. Our customers recognize and appreciate the work behind each garment,” he contended.

That said, Scervino pointed out that the brand is also seeing the arrival of new customers, also in a younger age bracket.

The company, based in Tuscany, has been accelerating its retail strategy and expanding outside of Italy with the opening of stores in Saint-Tropez, Los Angeles, Beijing and Prague, while also unveiling units in Italy, in Capri and Taormina.

Scervino enthused about the opening of the new boutique in Saint-Tropez last month, expressing “great satisfaction about the feedback,” confessing the level of success was quite unexpected.

He was also very pleased with the opening earlier this month of a store on Rodeo Drive. “We were encouraged to open this boutique seeing how the Miami store was our best performing one. The U.S. market is so receptive,” he said. The U.S. is also the leading market for the brand’s e-commerce platform.

Scervino said the store in Los Angeles was opened “to be closer to celebrities.” While declining to name names, the likes of Zendaya, Sharon Stone, Rita Ora, Hailey Bieber and Paris and Nicky Hilton have been photographed wearing the brand.

Taormina is also “brimming with Americans, even more so after ‘The White Lotus’ [Season Two filmed there],” he remarked. “It’s like opening in the U.S.,” he quipped. Needless to say, Capri is also a major destination for Americans and the location is an added asset, placed on the famous “piazzetta” on the island, developed over two floors, after the expansion of a second unit.

However, as part of this expansion, Scervino is inclined to “take one step at a time, based on our resources,” also in light of the fact that the company remains independent and self-funded. He declined to provide financial details.

There are a total of 61 boutiques, of which 21 directly are operated and 40 franchised, and the brand is carried in 220 wholesale accounts, distributed in more than 60 countries.

Europe, with France leading, and the U.S. are the best-performing markets and the opening in Beijing signals the company’s interest in expanding in China.

Ready-to-wear is the brand’s core business, and Scervino said the aim is to strengthen the accessories offer, still an untapped potential.

Scervino revealed he and Daelli are eyeing venturing into menswear. “We had started working on it but the project was interrupted by the pandemic. I think we will do it,” he said.  

The brand has a strong childrenswear line, first launched in 2004, and at the end of 2024 it inked an eight-year licensing agreement with specialist Monnalisa to strengthen this category. The line was originally managed in-house and subsequently operated by licensing partner Gimel Italian Creative Factory between 2020 and 2024.