Rooted firmly in family legacy and quiet luxury, SEASE stands out for its technical, functional lifestyle and urban wear for a man on-the-go.
Franco Loro Piana, CEO and Founder of SEASE, shares his brand-building journey based on pursued passions.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
I usually wake up and say good morning to my kids first thing. I have breakfast with them and play as much as possible before taking them to kindergarten. This is the best part of my day, infinite joy! When I can, let’s say twice a week, I do some yoga, basically stretching and breathing. Sometimes I also wake up and run to the tennis court. I really love to play tennis.
What inspired you to launch SEASE and did you always know you wanted to launch a brand of your own?
When I used to live in NYC, I had a dream to design a kit of essential pieces for my windsurf- ing escape to Montauk. A bag that contains all you need to live your passion to the fullest – from your wetsuit, cashmere hoodie, to music, books, etc. This idea remained pending in my mind for at least 10 years. Then when I quit my family business, I decided to start my own brand, kind of on the same reasoning I had back in the days.
What core DNA lies at the center of the brand?
The vision of the brand is for sure to inspire people to live authentic experiences and reconnect with nature through outdoor passion driven lifestyle. With SEASE, we redefine tradition through design and performance. We combine high-quality materials, like precious natural fibers, with technology to reach performance and functionality. It’s all about inspiring through life experience, authenticity, heritage, quality and innovation.
The brand is rooted in an active lifestyle. What drove this decision creatively?
Not difficult to answer, SEASE is an extension of what I love to do in life. I am passionate about outdoor sports like sailing, surfing and skiing. I wanted to create a functional yet sophisticated wardrobe, designed for outdoor activities meant for the city, where activewear is merged with everyday life.
What are your brand signatures and how did you define this?
I am positive that SEASE has a strong identity, a unique combination of design, materials and shapes, different from anything else in the market. The hybridization of sartorial tradition and contemporary design, and our modern styling creates a special twist with a strong personality. Our products don’t really need a logo to be recognized. These are the most important signatures in my opinion.
You had a formative influence on luxury brand establishment and development. How has this affected your own brand-building process?
For sure, the most important takeaway I got is to deeply understand the customers’ needs and behaviour in such an important and demanding market. This allowed me to position and shape the new brand accordingly. I really think there was a lack of authenticity and performance in the luxury market.
Franco Loro Piana, Founder and CEO of SEASE
You champion a consumer conscious mindset. Was sustainability a key factor from the outset?
I believe it is not the only factor of success for a brand, but it is a mandatory value that every brand must take into consideration. There is no future without ethical entrepreneurship.
Tell us more about your efforts to drive sustainability within your brand.
The goal is, for sure, to create a roadmap to reduce – as fast as possible – the impact of our supply chain and industries in general. SEASE’s mission is to create value while respecting the planet. The products are engineered through a sustainable protocol in terms of raw materials, supply chain process and use of natural resources. SEASE uses mostly natural, organic fibers like precious wool and cashmere, fine linen and hemp. More importantly, we believe that we have the duty to educate our clients, the final consumer, to make conscious choices. This important challenge can be won only through education and culture. Greenwashing marketing is not the solution.
Which pieces have been most popular to date – globally and within the Middle East?
It is too early to judge, but our windbreaker called Jib Set is a very functional and easy to wear piece that has been a great success so far.
You built everything yourself from the outset. What did this teach you?
For sure that if you do it yourself, you will make mistakes and you are the only one to blame. You are the one who suffers but at the same time you will get the biggest reward and satisfaction.
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