1972

TEFANO RICCI S.p.A., a leader in luxury menswear, was founded by Florentine designer Stefano Ricci and his wife Claudia. From the outset they established a philosophy of "100% Made in Italy", and Stefano Ricci's passion for neckties prompted him to produce his first models when he was in his early twenties.

1974

Stefano Ricci overhauled the role of the necktie, transforming it from an accessory to the protagonist of the men's wardrobe. Right from his debut at Pitti Uomo, his creations received an enthusiastic welcome from the world's biggest department stores, including Neiman Marcus and Harrods.

Following requests from leading groups, in the 1970s he presented his first shirt collection and entered the high-end market with the brand's leather goods range.

1986

With a hand-picked group of colleagues, Stefano Ricci decided to establish a consortium which would strengthen the presence of the city of Florence and the Pitti Uomo trade fair, turning them into essential benchmarks for men's fashion on an international level. The name they chose, “Classico Italia”, soon became a byword for products made exclusively in Italy. The designer went on to be elected president for three terms, establishing an area dedicated to high-end collections and events.

1990

In the 1990s, Stefano Ricci gradually expanded the men's collection to include jackets, suits, knitwear, sportswear and footwear. He developed an exclusive line of leather items and, in keeping with Florence's time-honoured jewellery-making tradition, he created a collection of cufflinks and exquisite belt buckles using gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires and other gemstones.

1993

Having consolidated the company's presence in the US with his own showroom in New York, Stefano Ricci decided to open his first directly operated store; it was a move that would begin the process of establishing the brand worldwide. The chosen city was Shanghai, with a strategic vision of the future of China which was ahead of its time. This proved to be a pioneering adventure which would, over the years, yield outstanding results.

1997

To celebrate his first 25 years in business, Stefano Ricci decided to launch the brand's first fragrance. Following years of research, the men's fragrance, “Classic”, was presented at Pitti Uomo with an evening reserved for 300 guests at the Terme Tettuccio spas in Montecatini. It was the beginning of a new chapter in the company's ranges, with various fragrances going on to leave their mark. They included the “Royal Eagle” perfume series and the recent “Ruthenium” fragrance.

2005

The emblem of the brand was created: the Royal Eagle. The choice fell to the eagle as a tribute to the iconic representation of many peoples, and a symbol with close ties to the Maison's own values: HONOUR, POWER and PRIDE. The brand and the Stefano Ricci emblem were emblazoned on the store windows in Montecarlo, Beverly Hills, Beijing, Porto Cervo, Xi’an, Moscow, New York and Paris.

2009

Having made a name for himself worldwide with his exclusive designs and unrivalled quality, Stefano Ricci decided to extend his creativity to embrace the very concept of the luxury lifestyle. The result was the birth of SR HOME, featuring porcelain dinner services and hand-ground crystal, silverware made using traditional handcraftsmanship, as well as luxury household linens and accessories for the home.

2010

The broader context of SR HOME saw a sizeable investment to round off the range of STEFANO RICCI products. Loyal to the values of traditional manufacturing and its local roots, the company bought the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a time-honoured silk factory which had been producing fabrics for the world's most important families since 1786. It continues to use the original hand looms to this day.

2011

STEFANO RICCI was invited to open the Moscow Fashion Week, with a show staged in front of 2,500 guests. The same year, the company decided to bring the various production processes together in a single centre, and opened its new premises in Fiesole, on the hills outside of Florence. The original headquarters was dedicated to developing the bespoke tailoring atelier, where a tradition is continued of apprenticing young artisans with master craftsmen in order to pass on the secrets of the work.

2012

STEFANO RICCI celebrated the 40th anniversary of its foundation with a fashion show in the Uffizi Gallery, the first and only one of its kind to be held in Italy's most important museum. The company also donated the lighting of the Loggia dei Lanzi, next to the Uffizi Gallery, to the city of Florence.

At the same time, the brand launched the SR Luxury Yacht Division under SR HOME. The range was designed to meet the needs of a clientele with a passion for Mega-Yachts.

2013

As part of its strategy to protect and enhance the cultural legacy which STEFANO RICCI shares with its founder's homeland, the company funded the restoration of priceless volumes on the medieval Florentine Arts, kept in the State Archive of Florence. In so doing, it also ensured that a digitalisation plan for the volumes was completed.

2014

Having received the Cavaliere del Lavoro knighthood for services to business, Stefano Ricci was asked to run the Florence-based Centre for Italian fashion, the oldest institution of its kind in Italy, which also runs Pitti Immagine. The Florentine designer organised the celebrations for “Firenze Hometown of Fashion” and donated the new lighting for the Ponte Vecchio bridge to his city, with a water show in the Arno river and a performance by Andrea Bocelli in front of 25,000 people.

2015

The brand expressed a new phase in its creativity with the launch of the “STEFANO RICCI in Campagna” range, inspired by Tuscany, and the “STEFANO RICCI SKI” collection, which combined outstanding hi-tech performance with hand-crafted elegance.

2016

The SR JUNIOR Collection was launched with the exclusive evening entitled "Nel nome del Figlio" (In the Name of the Son) staged at the Opera del Duomo Museum. The new collection, conveying the long-standing values behind goods that are made entirely by hand Italy, was a generational pact between parents and their children. SR JUNIOR won the heart of Harrods and saw the opening of dedicated boutiques worldwide.

STEFANO RICCI presented the new SR Catalogue to the international press at the Vittoriale degli Italiani, in a tribute to the Arbiter of Elegance, Gabriele d'Annunzio. Originally conceived as Geometries of Nature, the SR Lookbook was developed as a Tribute to Art – Uffizi, Magritte, Vettriano and Gruau - as well as a portrayal of Italian beauty showcasing the Castle of Sammezzano, the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, the Stibbert Museum, the city of Matera, which is a European culture capital, the Mugello Circuit, the Balbo Castle and the island of Montecristo.

2017

Stefano Ricci celebrated 45 years since the company was first founded with a fashion show-event at the Sala Bianca in the Palazzo Pitti. The room made history when it became the venue to host the first ever "Made in Italy" fashion show in 1952. The prestigious site had been declared off limits for fashion events since 1982.

That same year, STEFANO RICCI consolidated SR HOME with the launch of the Furnishing range on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

2018

In 2018, the company signed an agreement with Arturo Fuente to produce the Opus X – STEFANO RICCI cigar, a further milestone in the brand's leadership in luxury-lifestyle.

TODAY

First founded in 1972, STEFANO RICCI has transformed itself from a small family-run manufacturing business into an international luxury group with 600 employees worldwide (including all-Italian production and retail staff) with headquarters located in the hills of Fiesole covering a surface area in excess of 9,000 m2.

Stefano Ricci – founder, chairman and designer – is helped in the management of his eponymous brand by his wife Claudia and his sons Niccolò (CEO) and Filippo (Creative Director). STEFANO RICCI has a worldwide reputation for being a model Family business. The family is constantly committed to taking Italian fashion and its unmistakable style around the world, with 68 mono-brand boutiques including Flagship stores in the world's capital cities along with 19 shop-in-shops.

And the story continues...