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Publireportage - advertorial
Montreal’s Fashion Revolution No need to travel far for Italian fashion. Carmine Lauro brings it right to your closet. By Laura Casella
Fr o m b e a u t i f u l N a p l e s to Montreal, clothing distributor and shirt m a ke r C a r m i n e L a u r o moved to Quebec eight years ago for love.
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met my wife Carmelisa while she was vacationing in Napoli. We fell in love and got married in August 2001. I moved to Canada the following year,” Lauro, 39, explains. He left his home behind but not his passion. At the young age of 14, Lauro started working in the fashion industry at his family’s shirt factory in Napoli. “At 16, I was already selling shirts on my bicycle,” he reminisces. Today, Lauro brings his love for shirts to Montreal and travels back to Italy at least three times a year to create them. You can find his authentic, Made In Italy shirts at three stores in Montreal, and counting. His first two locations- Giav Shirts on Jarry St and Camiceria Lauro in Little Italy carry a colourful array of shirts and ties. “There is something very different about coming to my stores because every month you will find a new collection,” he says. His third location and most recent is Lauro & Co also located in Little Italy. The store is a one-stop destination for men’s clothing as they’ve expanded from shirts and accessories to also include suits and pants. It’s an exciting venture for Lauro, which he shares with his good friend, and co-owner Nick Vardaro, who was actually Carmine’s first ever client in Montreal. Vardaro also owns and operates IVC, part of the Artitalia Group. IVC is one of the largest manufacturers of retail display fixtures and supplier of merchandising solutions in North America. With over 30 years experience in servicing top international brands, Vardaro has an in-depth understanding of what is needed for a captivating shopping experience. “It was important to capture the essence of Lauro & Co and bring the brand to life in the store environment,” says Nick.“ Just walk through the store and experience the Italian elegance, originality and authentic craftsmanship.” “At Lauro & Co you have the opportunity to buy a quality product at an affordable price,” Lauro adds. “You will also find exclusive brands that you can’t find anywhere else in Canada.”
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What you are also guaranteed to find here is a quality product. His shirts are all made in Napoli from fabrics he hand picks in Bologna. They come in many different styles, colours, and Lauro carries a great amount of attention to every single one. From pink, to orange, and blue, a rainbow of colours fills the store’s walls. “What I’m trying to do is bring in more flash like you would see in Italy. If you walk into any one of my stores you’ll immediately feel like you’re in Napoli,” he says. Napoli which he calls “la capitale del sud Italia per la moda” and which also happens to be the birthplace for shirts and ties. But although these days Carmine Lauro serves a vast clientele, he admits that at the start it wasn’t easy. “It was difficult, for sure,” he says. “Here in Montreal the fashion and the clothing culture is much more different than it is in Italy.”
So what did he think about Montreal fashion? “Ma non c’è niente qui!” he laughs. “The colours here for example are a little more dull than they are in Italy, but that is slowly changing.” Part of that change is being stirred by Carmine Lauro’s creative vision and passion. A passion that he developed in Napoli and has so successfully transpired to Montreal. So what is next for this king of shirt making? With the grand opening of his third store, Lauro & Co which he shares with fellow Napoletano Nick Vardaro, Carmine is already setting his sights on another store very soon. “Si fara ancora meglio,” he claims. “Lauro & Co is the beginning of something completely different in Montreal and a testament to the quality that Nick and I take pride in. E ’la rivoluzione dell’abbigliamento in Montreal,” he says proudly. And he’s only getting started. Lauro & Co - 6750 Boulevard St. Laurent v