There's a compliment in the fashion world that says something feels like it's made of air, and that's exactly what Elle Pieri's bags are like.


Related articles
R.PIERI/Elle Pieri | A highly anticipated autumn/winter brand from a prestigious factory makes its official debut.

"Our newly developed SUPER LIGHT.CC achieves a weight of 650 grams for a 1-meter x 1-meter sheet. And yet, it maintains its shape exceptionally well. I think this is probably the limit for PVC."

Montecatini is a rural town in Tuscany. Elle Pieri is a brand founded by the two sons of Nors Nova, a textile manufacturer in the area that is well known among people involved in Italian luxury brands.

Maurizio Nottoli, the eldest brother and CEO, says:

"My source of inspiration was in Tokyo 20 years ago. I was traveling all over Asia for work, and I witnessed a fascinating sight in Tokyo: Japanese people striding about with light, functional bags in their hands. At that time in Italy, even in the city center, life revolved around cars, and bags were still the old-fashioned, heavy kind."

It must be the result of a sensibility honed through fabric development. The geometric patterns depicted were chic and artistic, unlike anything you'd expect to see. It was apparently the result of digesting a proposal from Hitman's president, Tatsuru Kato, a Japanese agent (Kato is the man who took the shoe brand Silvano Mazza by storm, and his ability to cultivate brands is recognized by himself and others). But what was even more impressive was the material's properties, which could be described as the world's lightest PVC used for bags, and the journey to achieve those properties. It took a full two years to accomplish.


"Before even considering durability, if it was too thin, the cotton weave would show through, making it look shabby. We finally found the right balance, but then we ran into problems with the stamping process. It still wasn't thick enough for that. To completely resolve these issues, we had to rethink not only the amount of polyvinyl chloride but also the weight of the base yarn. If we wanted to reach the critical point, we couldn't ignore the temperature and humidity that changes with the seasons. We had to mobilize all of our craftsmen's intuition to finally reach a level we were satisfied with."


The virtues aren't limited to the body. The leather is traditional Tuscan vachetta leather, and the buckles and other hardware are from local manufacturers—they champion local production and consumption. The organizer function, which comes standard with a key chain and external card pockets, is clearly something they learned from Japanese bags.

The name Elle Pieri comes from her mother's maiden name, Roberta Pieri, with "Elle" being the Italian pronunciation of "R". The women's line, initially launched under the name Roberta Pieri, quickly found its way into prestigious stores like Harrods. With functionality suitable for modern urban dwellers, modern design, and excellent cost performance—a hallmark of a family business—it's no wonder that world-renowned retailers recognize its appeal.

Elle Pieri is the first brand in the world to choose Isetan Men's as its debut venue, presenting its full lineup there.

To be continued in Part 2.