Timeless Heritage, Dynamic Progress
Founded in Milan, Eleventy is an Italian luxury fashion brand that aims to inspire individuals to embrace their unique journey of personal growth. Over the next two pages, RLI learns more as we speak with Co-Founder Marco Baldassari about the company’s idea of promoting the concept of smart luxury and what its next steps are in the world of retail.
Believing that true style and elegance comes from within, Eleventy strives to provide its customers with the means to express themselves authentically through their understated luxury offerings. They meticulously curate a collection that combines timeless elegance with modern functionality, ensuring that their patrons not only look their best but also feel confident and empowered in every aspect of their lives.
Established in 2007, the brand has grown exponentially over the years and expanded their reach globally and today their stores can be found in prominent fashion capitals across the globe.
“At Eleventy, we take pride in the widespread distribution of our brand, ensuring that our products are available to our customers across the world,” explains Marco Baldassari, Co-Founder of the business. “With a strong presence in key markets, we have established boutiques in Europe, US, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the Middle East. These boutiques provide a unique and personalised shopping experience, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in our brand’s world.”
Last June marked the opening of a key site within the company’s portfolio, as its first boutique launched in Paris at the prestigious Hotel du Louvre, overlooking Rue de Rivoli. This store’s design captured the essence of the brand’s values and lifestyle, while at the same time fitting into the Parisian state. The store features different spaces designed with a monochromatic and diverse material theme. The large windows look out onto Rue de Rivoli as well as Place du Palais Royal, where seasonal collections will be showcased on periodic installations and a large LED wall.
The coming year or two at Eleventy includes a focused expansion of their retail presence on a global scale, with China and Africa of particular interest at the moment and the idea of this is to create a network of immersive shopping destinations that resonate with their customers. Concurrently, they are investing in refining their online shopping platform to seamlessly integrate with their physical stores, ensuring a cohesive and elevated shopping experience across all touchpoints.
“To stay at the cutting edge of the market, we employ a dynamic approach to developing new products and initiatives at Eleventy,” Baldassari comments. “This involves a combination of thorough market research, trend analysis and customer insights to identify emerging opportunities. Our teams collaborate closely, fostering creativity and brainstorming innovative ideas. Through prototyping and testing, we refine concepts before bringing them to market, ensuring that our offerings remain both trendsetting and aligned with the evolving needs and preferences of our patrons.”
Leaning heavily into the world of social media marketing, the brand harnesses the power that this facet of marketing offers. They maintain an active presence on multiple social media platforms, using them as gateways for storytelling, product highlighting and behind-the-scene glimpses. By fostering genuine interactions with their audience, they cultivate a sense of community and authenticity.
Social media serves as a space where they listen to feedback, respond promptly and create interactive campaigns that resonate with their customers’ interests. This approach not only drives brand awareness but also positions Eleventy as a dynamic and relatable brand that aligns with the values of their digitally connected audience.
Moving onto sustainability, Marco explains that while it is of course important, he is more inclined to use the term ‘progress’ to convey his perspective. “In light of the increasing importance of progress, we as a company are dedicated to actively contributing to positive change. We are committed to continuous innovation across all aspects of our brand, including product development, customer experience and market presence. By championing progress and sustainability, we aim to contribute to the preservation of our planet for future generations, fostering a more sustainable and responsible approach to luxury fashion.”
The success of the brand over the course of its 16-year history has been significantly driven by its unwavering dedication to key factors such as its Made in Italy heritage, which underscores their commitment to exquisite craftsmanship and unparalleled quality. Furthermore, their approach to smart luxury sets them apart by blending tradition with progress.
Not just about offering products, the business is all about delivering a sophisticated experience that caters to the evolving needs of today’s discerning customers. This fusion of heritage, progress and smart luxury has been instrumental in Eleventy carving out their distinct identity in the sector and resonating with a global audience.
“The ethos of our company is rooted in a harmonious blend of timeless heritage and dynamic progress. We embrace the legacy of Made in Italy craftsmanship, intertwining it with innovative strategies to define a new paradigm of smart luxury. Our commitment to exceptional quality, personalised experiences and a forward-thinking mind-set embodies our ethos,” Baldassari highlights.
As he looks ahead, Marco explains that the business would like to consolidate its position in the luxury sector by retaining customers and engaging them in an inclusive online and offline shopping experience. “We aim to represent our values and philosophy to interpret the fashion world in a much deeper way, that embodies a complete lifestyle,” Baldassari concludes.
