"We didn't want to create a second line. We wanted to create a different brand."
We sat down with the MLO team to find out more about a project that is already generating a lot of interest in the Italian selective distribution sector. We have a direct, unfiltered conversation about quality, market positioning, creative identity, and having the courage to start afresh while standing on solid ground. Sometimes, the boldest move is to strip things back and make them clear.
Although MLO comes from Malloni, it seems to be carving out a very independent identity. Why?
Malloni has a very precise identity, a loyal customer base and clear positioning, built consistently and rigorously over time. MLO has no intention of overlapping with this; it wants to speak to a different audience, or rather, a different version of the same woman. She may know, respect and love Malloni, but she needs something more everyday, more affordable and easier to wear without making every morning a complicated decision. We realised there was a specific niche to fill, not to increase sales, but to genuinely cater for a customer that the market too often overlooks.
But what does 'easier' actually mean? Isn't there a risk of lowering the bar?
Not at all — we feel strongly about this. 'Easier' does not mean 'simpler' in the sense of being less considered, less crafted or less constructed. It means more readable. A garment should communicate its purpose immediately: it should be clear how to wear it and what to pair it with. The complexity still exists, but it lies in the work we do beforehand, not in the final result. We don't want customers to stand in front of the mirror asking questions. We want them to see it and think, 'That's mine.' Paradoxically, this requires more work than a deliberately difficult piece.
Does 'Made in Italy' still have real value, or has it just become a label to stick on things?
For us, it is above all a way of working, not just a statement. It means knowing who cuts and sews, where the fabrics are processed and whose hands have touched every single garment before it reaches the shop floor. It means being able to answer any question about the supply chain off the cuff, because you truly know it inside out. It also means accepting that certain choices cost more and finding ways to absorb that cost without passing it entirely on to the customer. It's not a marketing claim; it's a concrete, daily responsibility.
Why did you choose such selective distribution for the launch?
Because MLO is not a quantity project. It's a project about building quality relationships with agencies, retailers and end customers. We wanted to start with people who share our vision and know how to tell a product's story. We also wanted to start with people who already have an informed and curious clientele. Growing in a controlled way enables us to learn, adapt and enhance our approach without losing sight of our objectives. The agencies we have chosen are partners, not distributors. And that difference shows over time.
How would you describe MLO to someone who has never encountered it before?
It's the everyday wardrobe with Malloni's identity. Quality without ceremony. Style without explanation. It's a brand that knows where it comes from, understands the woman it speaks to and has chosen to speak to her with respect, neither overestimating nor underestimating her. Ultimately, only the product itself can speak for itself.
