N°21
Italy
N°21 is a Milan fashion label founded in 2010 by the designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua. It is owned by Dell'Acqua together with the knitwear manufacturer Gilmar, which has held 30 per cent since 2015.
| Founded | 2010, Milan |
|---|---|
| Founder | Alessandro Dell'Acqua |
| Ownership | Dell'Acqua and Gilmar (30 per cent since 2015) |
| Headquarters | Milan, Italy |
| Creative director | Alessandro Dell'Acqua |
What is N°21?
N°21 (also written Numero Ventuno) is an Italian fashion label founded by Alessandro Dell'Acqua in 2010, shortly after he left his own luxury fashion house. The name comes from his birthday, 21 December, which he also treats as a lucky number.
History
Dell'Acqua was born in Naples in 1962. He launched the knitwear line AA Milano in 1995 and his eponymous label in 1996, and later worked as creative director for houses including Borbonese, La Perla, Malo, Brioni's women's line, Les Copains and Rochas. N°21 began in Milan's Citta Studi district, and since 2022 it has operated from a 16,000 square foot headquarters in the Porta Venezia district.
Ownership and business model
FashionNetwork reported in May 2015 that Gilmar bought a 30 per cent stake in N°21 through the company 2112, which controls the brand, to speed up its growth. Gilmar had already produced and distributed the brand under licence since July 2012. Wikipedia lists the owners as Dell'Acqua and Gilmar. Gilmar is a knitwear manufacturer in San Giovanni in Marignano that also owns Iceberg, and it reported turnover of about 100 million euros in 2014.
- FashionNetwork reported N°21 turnover rising from about 4 million euros in 2012 to an expected 24 million euros in 2015.
- Wikipedia reports that by 2022 Japan accounted for a third of turnover, and that the brand opened its first freestanding store in Tokyo that year.
- Dell'Acqua is the creative director.
Why it matters
N°21 is an example of a designer-led label scaled through a manufacturing partner rather than a large luxury group. The Gilmar structure ties product, production and distribution closely together, and the label's reliance on Japan shows how a Milan brand can build a distinct regional base. Current ownership should be confirmed, because the figures above come from 2015 and 2022 reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns N°21?
N°21 is owned by its founder Alessandro Dell'Acqua and by Gilmar, which acquired a 30 per cent stake in 2015 and had produced the brand under licence since 2012.
Why is it called N°21?
The name comes from Alessandro Dell'Acqua's birthday, 21 December, which is also his lucky number.