Parah: The New Global Challege

06 September 2017

The appointment of Massimo Leonardo as CEO of the company based in Gallarate signifies a new phase of development.

In the world of luxury and lingerie, Massimo Leonardo has held high standing managerial roles in Italy, France, Spain, the USA and the Middle East. From March 2017, he will take up a new role at Parah with a mission. His goals include providing the company with a management strategy suited to a family business that today, is pitched towards the global stage, developing the brands in foreign markets and consolidating their presence in those where they’re already well established. Product, image and distribution are at the center of the new strategy. Massimo Leonardo presents the new Parah.

How is Parah seen today?
Today, after having been given a strong creative direction in a precise niche, Parah is taking off again in terms of planning and operations. Last, but not least, the brand’s identification with two seemingly oppositional poles – our historical home in Gallarate, which is our productive and artisanal heart and our showroom in Milan, the hub of design and creativity, is actually a competitive advantage that we can make the most of through marketing.
What is your objective in terms of growth?
With a view towards global development, a turnover of 70-80 million would be considered a realistic proportionally to our size. This is our long-term objective. In the short term, over the next eighteen months, the target is to increase our foreign turnover by 50%.
How have the company’s teams been reorganized?
The founding family, through Gianluca Piazzalunga, is articulating the image and communication guidelines. Aided by Andrea Rienzo for foreign markets and Claudio Racca in Italy, I coordinate the international development, and, in tandem with the Creative Director, Margherita Mazzei, products and merchandising.

Which product developments are planned?
Today, what brings you customers is the bra. Although in the swim sector, both Parah and Parah Impronte have their own positions that we will capitalize on. Our strategic goals today are in the corsetry segment, where we aim to convey a strong, modern image and, also, in nightwear, where we are finding an increase in demand in markets such as the USA and the Middle East. Another fundamental asset is men’s, already in the swimwear sector, we are seeing optimum results (+15% in turnover). We see interesting opportunities here for multibrand development.
How are these new inputs translated into the collection?
Lingerie and nightwear will be the hub of our new winter strategy, but already in the SS18 collection our focus in terms of fit and models is on lighter lingerie with regards to structure, material and weight, combined with a studied style with design construction and a mix of innovative and impact materials. For men, from winter we are also developing an intimates and nightwear offer and we are working on a capsule collection of our first transversal under/night/beachwear line for our top international customers and trendy concept stores.
What are the cornerstones of your international strategy?
The objective is to enlarge our retail network, both direct and indirect. We want to focus on the new boutique concept in the premium range where there is the perfect balance between products and ambience. Starting from a consolidation in our domestic market with its particularities, moving to abroad, where the focus will be on retail and department stores, prioritizing those that will reinforce the image and the position of the brand in order to develop wholesale at the same time. Are current target countries include the Middle East, where we are imminently opening a store in Dubai, in China, where the market is very dynamic and they are defining new styles of buying in the high-end range, and Russia, which we see as being our outpost in Eastern Europe. We are consolidating our presence in the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland and Spain, where we are already in the Corte Inglès department store. Additionally, are driving further expansion in France.