The Stefanel Group was founded in Italy in 1959. In its 59-year history, Stefanel has become one of the leading brands in Italian fashion and a symbol of excellence. Since the very beginning the Group has worked with a strong international approach, establishing its presence in the main European fashion markets, such as London, Berlin and Milan.
Today it is one of the main representatives in affordable luxury segment with over 400 stores in more than 50 countries. The Group operates through two different business units: Stefanel and Interfashion. The first one takes care of the Stefanel brand production and distribution, while the second one manages production and distribution processes of HIGH, an international women’s clothing brand.
After completing a capital strengthening plan with the entry of a new controlling shareholder (Oxy Capital and Attestor) in 2017, Stefanel started a Company relaunch with the purpose of becoming the top brand in the target market.
The renewed management team led by the new CEO Cristiano Portas, who boasts an important track record in turnaround experiences, studied a strategy based on an industrial plan that focuses on the core values of Stefanel: high quality products, strong proficiency in all the steps of the value chain and attention to the clients. These elements, combined to a new marketing strategy, attention to innovative digital channels and a careful restored approach within the existing stores, will allow Stefanel to regain a leading role in the Italian and international fashion markets.
“The history of a brand cannot be bought and Stefanel has its own heritage throughout the well established European markets. As a first step, we must work to retain and regain our clients’ loyalty, focusing our attention on woman’s knitwear, improving the products and the way we get to the target market”, states Cristiano Portas.
