WHAT'S THE STORY
Marianna Rosati, Drome’s Creative Director and Head of Design, blends the company’s traditional know-how with avant-garde design.
Drome lends leather the look and feel of fabric, thus creating lightness that makes leather attractive across all seasons.
DROME
PASSION FOR LEATHER Ferrero Rosati’s family business has been the epitome of innovative leather for decades. Located in the epicentre of Italian designer brands around Florence, Drome has embodied luxurious, progressive prêt-à-porter fashion for ten years. Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Drome
“Drome is an insider tip. We have approx. 50 customers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, which is very good for such a sophisticated collection. The special handling of leather, the constant research of new materials, and the processing and changing of structures make the pieces so unique. Drome always succeeds in re-interpreting the topic. Our top sellers are the super-soft leather leggings and extremely light lambskin reversible coats in an almost inexhaustible range of colours. Drome appeals to high fashion customers who are looking for high-class prêt-à-porter fashion for men and women,” says Claudia Flessa, the Managing Partner of fashion agency Modeagentur Flessa. She has been working together with the company since 2004, when it was still producing the Santacroce collection. A restructuring of the business in 2009 resulted in a new company called Factory Srl and launch of the label Drome. With six collections per year and fast delivery rhythms, Drome is capable of offering its customers a sophisticated programme throughout the year. At a mark-up of 2.7, purchase prices range from 250 Euros for stretch leggings to 600 Euros for lambskin coats. Drome is not only a symbolic representation of the dream that Marianna Rosati, the Creative Director and Head of Design, has realised by launching the label. Ferrero Rosati’s daughter blends the company’s traditional know-how with avant-garde design. 172
style in progress
Marianna, leather is a passion. Are there any limits in terms of design? Leather is a very interesting material. It’s very luxurious and sophisticated, but not easy to apply in an innovative manner. For me, it’s very interesting to expand the concept of leather by pushing it beyond its limits, finding new ways of interpreting it, and creating garments that are both innovative and appealing to contemporary women. What are the five criteria that a prêt-à-porter collection has to fulfil? Innovation, comfort, urbanity, sophistication, and sensuality are five words that are very important to me during the design process. The market for high fashion brands is very international. Where do you see the most potential for Drome? Asia is an important landmark for us, but so is the rest of the world. Much depends on current economic and political circumstances, which have been influencing the market significantly over the last few years. I’ve always intended Drome to be quite transversal. In my eyes, Drome is an attitude that relates to the soul of its customers. The fashion industry is changing rapidly. This poses new challenges, even for long-established brands. Where do you see Drome in five years? I see Drome growing every season, becoming more complete and more mature as a brand, and thus expanding its boundaries. I hope that Drome will have received more recognition and expanded its product range.
