Meet Sease, the new brand from the Loro Piana brothers, says Peter Howarth...
If the names Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana sound familiar, that is because they are the sons of Pier Luigi Loro Piana (owner of 39.6 metre My Song). They launched their own venture in Milan last November, quietly, and have now also opened in Porto Cervo. The first boutique is part DJ studio, part vinyl record shop, part art gallery and part bookshop. Not to mention the casually displayed surfboard and state-of-the-art racing bicycle, also for sale. Oh, and a range of clothing and accessories bearing the Sease label.
It is perhaps not surprising, given their lineage, that Franco, 36, and Giacomo, 38, have launched a new generation collection of leisure and active wear. “The mission is to combine innovation, technology and a contemporary approach with tradition,” explains Franco. Growing up, he was always surrounded by fabrics, and his father would involve him in his research for natural fibres that had special properties. Franco learned that you can innovate without ditching the lessons of tradition.
Sease is a combination of “sea” and “ease”. The duo wanted to do something that reflected their generation and its lifestyle: “a kit that contains everything you need to live your passion,” Franco says. “When I was working in New York I started surfing, and my kit was a pair of board shorts, a cashmere hoodie, a wetsuit, and so on. From that, I had the idea to create a contemporary wardrobe for men who live in the city, but also need to escape and enjoy their passions outdoors.” He points out that today, luxury is more and more about “how you play with your free time and how you invest properly in it. Sease is meant to fulfil this need.”
The first kits are based on sailing and skiing. The signature piece is the Low Pressure Spray Top, made from Sunrise fabric, a tribute to the material Solaro – an old British invention with roots in military summer-wear. Sease’s version is brought up-to-date with a bio-based nylon and protects the wearer from water. The style is modern and hi-tech, but the fabric has a traditional spirit. The idea is that “you are on your boat, you are sailing, you’re looking elegant – and then if you wear this in the city, you look like a ninja, but with Italian taste.”
The rest of the collection is similarly a combination of sophisticated, often traditional fabrics, updated and employed in modern designs. There are urban styles too, such as a trench coat or an unstructured jacket. Sease also has a contemporary attitude to sustainability: there are items made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, and no chemicals are used in making the wool-and-nylon mix fabrics. “We really care about the environment,” says Franco. “It’s especially important if you think about our clients, whose passions are based in nature.”
Visit sease.it