Cerruti 1881
Shandong Ruyi (since 2017, via Trinity Ltd.) · France
Cerruti 1881 is a French fashion house with Italian roots, founded by Nino Cerruti in 1967 and named after his family's wool mill. Wikipedia reports it has been part of China's Shandong Ruyi group since 2017.
| Founded | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Nino Cerruti |
| Owner | Shandong Ruyi, per Wikipedia |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Segment | Premium and contemporary |
| Website | cerruti.com |
What is Cerruti 1881?
Cerruti 1881 is a menswear-led fashion house based in Paris. Its website calls it a French luxury house with Italian heritage. The 1881 refers to the year in which Nino Cerruti's grandfather founded the family wool mill, Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti, in Biella, Italy.
History
Nino Cerruti launched the label with a menswear collection in 1967, followed by a women's line in 1976 and the first fragrance in 1978. From the 1980s the house designed clothing for films, and in 1994 it became official designer for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. Ownership then changed repeatedly: Nino Cerruti sold the brand in 2000, the buyer Fin.Part went bankrupt in 2005, and US private equity firm MatlinPatterson acquired it in 2006.
Ownership today
In 2017 the Chinese textile manufacturer Shandong Ruyi bought Hong Kong group Trinity Ltd., which owned the house, making Ruyi the parent company according to Wikipedia. We have not verified the current creative director, so none is named.
Business model and distribution
Wikipedia reports that the brand had 84 stores in 34 cities across China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in 2021, which indicates that Asia is its most important market. The house is headquartered at 27 rue Royale in Paris, with a flagship on Place de la Madeleine.
Why it matters
Cerruti 1881 is a case study in how a European heritage tailoring name can be sustained through Asian ownership, with commercial emphasis shifting from Western wholesale to a store network in Greater China.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Cerruti 1881?
Wikipedia reports that China's Shandong Ruyi became the parent company in 2017 when it bought Trinity Ltd., the Hong Kong group that owned the house.
What does 1881 in Cerruti 1881 mean?
It refers to the year the Cerruti family founded its wool mill, Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti, in Biella, Italy. The fashion label itself was launched by Nino Cerruti in 1967.