Heritage
More than a century of history
The year it all started.
Young entrepreneur Riccardo Mantero left Novi Ligure with his bike to find fortune in Como which had a thriving silk industry. Here he opened a small silk store starting the "Riccardo Mantero" business.
1923 - 1956
In 1923, the
Via Volta 74 building was completed. This became the Mantero family home and the company headquarters.
In the 1940s, the industrialisation process began. The Manteros bought the Menaggio weaving company, integrating part of the value chain to optimise the cost structure and marketing times. The strongly entrepreneurial mindset was aimed at growth.
In 1956, with the second generation of the family in charge, the historic "Seterie Cugnasca" company, which had been operating since 1920, was acquired. With this purchase, Mantero entered the rapidly expanding women's prêt-à-porter fashion market.
1960 - 2000
In 1960, the new Grandate factory was opened, originally was dedicated exclusively to weaving, after 1964 it carried out dye-printing.
This was the time when the Mantero Group controlled the entire production process and responding to the growing demand for high-quality fabrics.
In 1972 Mantero debuted in the accessory market and produced neckwear fabrics which was a rapidly expanding global market. During this period, the process of internationalisation intensified and the New York and Paris offices were opened.
In 2000, the historical archive of the London-based Holliday & Brown was acquired.
A century old collection of books, fabrics, test papers that will create the Mantero men's accessories collection including ties, bow ties, scarfs and pocket squares.
From 2000 to present
In the first decade of the 2000s, the collection which embodied the company DNA was created - Mantero 1902 - a collection of feminine scarfs of noble fibres with a contemporary feel. Archival subjects inspired all collection designs, which emphasised the close connection between the historical roots and the aptitude for innovation which is at the base of the Company philosophy.
In 2011, the fourth generation took over the company. Franco Mantero became the new CEO and adopted a state-of-the-art approach, focusing on investments in production and R&D. With the Mantero Factory unit, energies and talents were dedicated to the most innovative projects, with the aim of developing new technical skills, making eco-sustainable production processes and offering new versatile and iconic products.
In 2016, the new Grandate company headquarters was opened. Covering 1500 square metres, it houses more than 400 employees, with production areas, warehouses, offices and the Mantero archive. The values and the knowledge of the silk district remain rooted in company culture, but a glocalapproach develops a worldwide orientation through the continuous inclusion of young talent from an international background.
The mantero Family
Leading the company for four generations
The fourth generation
Since 2011, the siblings Franco and Lucia Mantero have been leading the company, under the wise guidance of their father, Moritz. The company's mission remains unchanged, but the form is different. Automation processes, product and process research and development, have intensified to serve business to business customers using an atelier approach, and end customers, with high quality Made in Italy products.
The eight brothers: the third generation
The eight brothers of the third generation took control in the 1970s aiming at internationalisation, while following the path of their grandfather Riccardo and Father Beppe. New York, Paris, Hong Kong and Hangzhou offices opened during that period. This strengthened their relationships with foreign customers and partners, creating a service for an increasingly global market.
The second generation
Father of eight Beppe, with his charismatic soul, took over the Fabbrica Seterie Riccardo Mantero in the 1950s. He developed it, focusing on the emerging Florentine prêt-à-porter industry. He initiated the process of industrial verticalisation, starting all the phases necessary for the production of high fashion fabric.
The founder
Riccardo Mantero, a visionary entrepreneur with a strong commercial instinct which led him to take on expansion and development risks. Before founding the company, he worked as a salesman at the Giuseppe Cattaneo textile company, where he acquired the "feel for fabric" and developed his first customer portfolio.