Loro Piana
The Loro Piana family arrived in the Valsesia valley of northern Italy in the 18th century as wool merchants. Through five generations, they evolved from traders to spinners to weavers to, in the 20th century, the world's pre-eminent producer of ultra-fine luxury textiles. The company remained a family business under Pietro and Sergio Loro Piana until 2013, when LVMH acquired an 80% stake at a valuation of approximately €2 billion — a transaction that represented the luxury group's conviction that control of the world's finest raw fibres was a strategic priority.
The Fibres
No single producer commands access to as many exceptional natural fibres as Loro Piana.
Vicuña. Through decades of investment in conservation programmes in Peru and Bolivia, and long-term purchase agreements with Andean communities who conduct the traditional chaku harvest, Loro Piana controls a significant portion of the global vicuña fibre supply. The house processes vicuña at its mills in Quarona and produces cloth available through its own boutiques and to selected tailors.
Baby Cashmere. A proprietary fibre designation: cashmere combed from Hircus kids (baby goats) during their first moulting, producing a fibre of approximately 13.5 microns — finer than standard Grade A cashmere. The entire annual production is purchased by Loro Piana.
Lotus Flower. Perhaps the most extraordinary: thread extracted from the stems of lotus flowers grown on lakes in Myanmar, processed by hand in a technique that produces a translucent, silk-like fabric of astonishing delicacy. Loro Piana is the only producer at commercial scale.
Guanaco. From the wild guanaco of Patagonia — a camelid related to the vicuña — Loro Piana has developed a sustainable harvesting programme producing a fibre of approximately 16 microns, warmer than cashmere at equivalent weight.
The Cloths
Loro Piana's fabric books are among the most comprehensive in the luxury textile trade. For tailors, the key ranges include:
Traveller — their signature lightweight travel fabric in super-fine wools, designed to resist wrinkle and recover its shape after compression.
Tasmanian — medium-weight Super 150s and 170s worsted cloths in classic colours, the standard of choice for occasion dressing.
Flannel and loden — traditional weights in the full spectrum from 11 to 16 oz, sourced from their own fibre stocks.
The Ready-to-Wear
Since the 1980s, Loro Piana has operated an expanding retail business selling finished garments — knitwear, outerwear, accessories, and some tailoring — directly to clients. This business has grown substantially under LVMH ownership. The finished goods carry a significant premium over comparable products from other houses; the justification is the verifiably superior quality of the raw material.
The Loro Piana store is, for the well-informed buyer, a reliable place to invest in knitwear and outerwear. The cashmere sweaters — typically in two-ply Baby Cashmere or Grade A standard cashmere — are among the best available at any price.
FAQs
Is Loro Piana only for billionaires? The cashmere accessories — belts, scarves, lighter weight sweaters — begin at more accessible price points. The finest garments are indeed priced for a narrow market. The cloth business, accessed through tailors, offers an alternative entry point.
Where can I buy Loro Piana cloth? Through their own tailor programme, or via mill agents who supply cloth to tailors. The cloth books can sometimes be accessed through tailors on Savile Row or in major Italian cities.