It is 1934.
While in Rome Italy wins the World Cup,
in Stockholm Pirandello accepts the Nobel Prize for Literature,
and in sunny California, Twentieth Century-Fox is born,
in Triuggio, a small town in Brianza, North of Italy,
Giovanni Canali, Director of the biggest textile factory in Europe,
founds together with his brother Giacomo – an experienced tailor –
what would become one of the flagships of the “Made in Italy” brand.
It is the golden age of gentlemen and swing dance,
of Hollywood and its stars,
and in Italy all eyes are on male elegance.
Shortly thereafter, World War II crushes Europe,
jeopardizing the productivity of Italian companies,
but the Canali family’s willpower and passion
will once again raise the fortunes of the brand and reinvent it after these difficult years.
In 1953, the company is taken over by the three sons of Giovanni:
Giuseppe, Genesio and Eugenio, who reorganize it
founding the “Ditta Fratelli Canali S.p.A.”
In the same years, the brand “Cafra” is born,
betting everything on the functional and formal raincoat,
from military uniform to cinema icon,
this apparel meets the needs of a population rebuilding the cities
in need of functional clothing without neglecting style.
1968: the market changes, society evolves.
The youth movement is unstoppable.
In the United Kingdom, The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's
and the modern dandies of the Peacock revolution
show off patterns never seen before.
Meanwhile, “the Boot” begins exporting “Made in Italy” products
as a synonym for excellence
and Canali starts manufacturing its own clothes
betting on tradition and top quality.
In the '70s, mankind has just returned from the Moon,
and technology tickles its imagination;
among computers, walkman's and space probes,
businesses start their technological race.
As the cultural revolution takes the streets,
Canali innovates its production with new and accurate automatic cutting devices.
The '80s are all about exploring,
not the universe anymore, but new markets,
with the family’s third generation takeover,
the company looks beyond Milan,
and takes its first steps abroad, opening showrooms in Paris, New York, and London,
while the yuppie style is all the rage in the U.S.
and British streets get filled up with Teddy Boys.
From this moment onwards, the company’s evolution continues apace.
In the '90s is time for the first single-brand stores, and the brand expands to Russia, China, India and Oceania;
with the advent of the new millennium
the first sport garments are born
and – in 2007 – the iconic KEI jacket:
a destructured, comfortable, versatile jacket.
A real cornerstone of the Canali style.
In 2014, while the Great Beauty triumphs at the Oscars,
a new headquarters in Milan is inaugurated,
and the New York office is enlarged.
After more than 85 years of history and transformations,
Canali does not stop, placing its strength in its excellence and territory,
together with the passion and dedication of a family
that never stopped being a staple of elegance “Made in Italy”.