Kiton

Kiton is an Italian fashion house founded by Ciro Paone in Arzano, NA 1968.[2][3][4][5]

Founded in Arzano, Naples in 1968 by Ciro Paone, Kiton is an Italian clothing company with its roots in traditional Italian tailoring. By the end of 2022, Kiton had 60 monobrand stores and 300 wholesale accounts worldwide.[6]

The company's slogan is Il meglio del meglio più uno ("the best of the best plus one").[7]

Kiton operates five manufacturing facilities located in Arzano (for their primary production), Caserta (for sportswear), Parma (for outerwear), Fidenza (for knitwear), and Biella (for textiles).[6][8][9][10] Kiton owns the Carlo Barbera fabric mill.[11]

History

Kiton is the trademark brand of the company Ciro Paone SpA, a company founded in 1956.[12] It was set up at Arzano, in the province of Naples, in 1968.[13][14] The name Kiton derives from the chiton ceremonial tunic worn by the ancient Greeks and Romans.[15][16] The word chiton is derived from Ancient Greek χιτών (khitṓn, “tunic”), from a Central Semitic language *kittān (as in Maltese) from the Akkadian𒌆𒃰 (kitû, literally “flax, linen”), from Sumerian 𒄑𒃰 (kitû [GIŠ.GADA]).

In 1995, Kiton launched a line of womenswear.[17]

In 2008, Ciro Paone purchased suits and other wardrobe items that once belonged to Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, from a 1998 Sotheby's auction. These items were later showcased by Paone at the Excelsior hotel in Florence, Italy, during the biannual Pitti Uomo menswear show. The display highlighted the historical sartorial elements Paone incorporated into his contemporary designs for Kiton suits.[18]

In 2009, Kiton bought the Carlo Barbera woollen mill, which had been founded in 1949 in Biella.[19] This allowed Kiton to work with delicate fibers such as viscose and create specialized yarns, dyes, and weaves.[20]

In 2013, Kiton acquired Palazzo Ferré, a building on Via Pontaccio that was home to the Gianfranco Ferré label for 14 years. After the restoration, it was planned that the second floor would house Kiton's showroom and offices, while the first floor would become a tailor's shop.[21][22]

In 2013, Kiton launched its retail operations in India.[23] In 2015, Kiton launched its eyewear collection,[24] and opened a 2,500-square-foot store in San Francisco.[25] In 2017 to mark the opening of Pitti Immagine Uomo 91, Ciro Paone received the Pitti Immagine career award.[26]

In 2018, Kiton launched an athleisure collection, called KNT (Kiton New Texture). The KNT brand is owned by twins Walter and Mariano de Matteis, the latest generation of the Kiton family.[27][28] Also, in 2018, Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, awarded Kiton the Premio Leonardo Qualità Italia.[29][30]

Ciro Paone, the founder of Kiton, died at 88 in his home in Naples, Italy on October 27, 2021.[31][32][33][34]

In 2022, Kiton announced a new collaboration with Beatrice Venezi.[35] In July 2023, Kiton began dressing the team and players of the London club Tottenham Hotspur for official events.[36][37]

In July 2023, Kiton opened a 350 sq m flagship store in Seoul in Cheongdam-dong.[38]

School of Advanced Tailoring

In 2000, Kiton launched a training project with the foundation of the School of Advanced Tailoring, aimed at training new generations of tailors.[39] Kiton developed this course with two main goals: to prepare young people to enter the labor market and to ensure that the workforce is constantly updated.[40]

The majority of the students hail from Naples, though there are also applications from international students. Approximately 80% of these students secure employment with Kiton or at other companies.[41][42]

The institution offers a three-year program aimed at training individuals between the ages of 16 and 21 for professional roles. The curriculum, delivered by in-house instructors, primarily focuses on jacket creation during the first two years. In the third year, students are encouraged to pick and delve deeper into a specific production stage.[43][44]

Production

Kiton operates in the luxury goods sector and offers bespoke service, characterized by hand-cut and basted tailored suits, as well as ready-to-wear men's and women's garments.

Kiton maintains an integrated supply chain, with five company-owned factories:[8][16]

As of the end of 2022, the company employs about 850 employees and sells its products in 73 countries, with over 60 monobrand stores and 300 wholesale accounts globally.[46][47]

• Coats, jackets, shirts, ties, shoes, and small leather goods are produced at the company's headquarters in Arzano.[45]
• Leather and bomber jackets are crafted in Collecchio.
• Knitwear originates from Fidenza.
• Jeans are produced in Marcianise, in the province of Caserta.
• Fabrics are processed and developed at Biella, Kiton's proprietary woolen mill.

Management

See also

• Made in Italy

External links