Italy’s Curiel — a Historic LBD Specialist — Is Ready to Take on the World

PARIS — Curiel — a storied couture house that pioneered the Little Black Dress in Italy in the ’60s and recently made significant inroads in China — is readying its international breakout.

The brand plans to showcase a new capsule collection for wholesale distribution at the Plan 8 showroom in Paris from June 23 to 29, taking advantage of retailers and press convening in the French capital for couture week and pre-collections.

“We would like to think that our designs are versatile and at the service of all women,” said Rafael Jimenez, who is directing Curiel’s international development. “They are created with the intention of meeting the needs of different scenarios — from the daily commute to work or to a formal occasion or cocktail.”

Founded as an elite dressmaker by Trieste, Italy-based Ortensia Curiel in 1908, the house has been helmed by successive generations of designing women, its notoriety initially fueled among the aristocracy and glitterati thanks to a partnership with the famous Milan opera house La Scala forged in 1945. One little-known footnote in the vast brand lore: Karl Lagerfeld, one of fashion’s original hired guns, designed a capsule collection for Curiel for fall 1970.

According to Jimenez, the initial capsule was especially conceived for international distribution “with a special focus on Europe and America.”

He said he’s targeting “independent stores with a strong connection to their customers,” and hopes to rekindle collaborations with key department stores.

Ortensia Curiel’s daughter Raffaella, who brought painting into haute couture, famously presented her first collection in New York at Bergdorf Goodman in 1964, and at Harrods in London the following year.

“We aim to be in touch with a younger generation of women that will appreciate timeless elegance and savoir-faire,” Jimenez said, touting its spirit of “la dolce vita” — the sweet life, in English — and such values as vitality, passion and glamour.

Ultimately, Curiel plans to build out a network of freestanding flagship stores starting with Milan in 2026, Jiminez said, mentioning Hong Kong, Paris, London, New York, Tokyo and Seoul as other capitals envisioned for openings over the next five years or so.

Chinese luxury brand management firm RedStone Haute Couture, which also owns high-end Italian brand Giada, forged a joint venture with Curiel Srl in 2015.

Today, Curiel boasts 29 retail sales points in China, including a network of flagship stores and concessions at key department stores, including SKP in Beijing.

A design team draws inspiration from the archives, with the initial capsule for international distribution interpreting iconic Curiel dresses in sumptuous fabrics, including velvet. “It maintains the simple, sophisticated and elegant style that has been a hallmark of Curiel since the 1950s,” Jimenez explained.

Most items in the capsule collection are suggested to retail between 1,000 and 1,500 euros, well under typical designer price points.

“This is intentional as we would like to reach a wider audience to make them discover our cultural legacy and hopefully help acquire a taste for couture to newer generations,” Jimenez said, hinting that celebrity endorsements, brand events, collaborations and “creative content” would be among its marketing levers.

“We would like to be an alternative for a woman who likes couture, appreciates fashion and would love an authentic atelier and noble offering at an accessible price range,” he continued. “We think this is a transitional period in fashion and we see opportunities for our kind of approach.”

Curiel’s product lines include “alta moda,” its most luxurious line; made-to-measure evening dresses and tailoring; its main ready-to-wear line, and LBD-Pro, dedicated to ballet arts.

In September, the brand plans to present its main collection at its Via Montenapoleone headquarters in Milan, and again in Paris.

Curiel’s return to the international stage comes at a time when another storied Italian name, Walter Albini, is being prepped for a revival.

“A cheerful coincidence,” Jimenez said, stressing that Curiel has stood “among the leading protagonists of Made in Italy throughout fashion history.”