Berluti
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFrench luxury menswear and leather-goods house known for bespoke footwear, refined leather finishing, and distinctive patina techniques.
Last updated August 22, 2026
Overview
Berluti is a French luxury house specializing in men's footwear, leather goods, tailoring, ready-to-wear, and accessories. The company was established in Paris in 1895 by Alessandro Berluti, an Italian shoemaker from the Marche region. Its historical identity is rooted in made-to-measure footwear and in the finishing of fine skins, including calfskin, kangaroo leather, and alligator. Berluti's shoes are particularly associated with handwork, sculpted lasts, polished surfaces, and layered color treatments that create a recognizable depth and variation across the leather. The business has developed from a specialist shoemaking atelier into a broader men's luxury brand while retaining bespoke craft as a central reference point. Its offer includes formal shoes, boots, loafers, belts, wallets, bags, small leather goods, tailored clothing, ready-to-wear, and selected accessories. The brand's products are aimed primarily at affluent male customers seeking high-end craftsmanship, discreet luxury, and personalization rather than mass-market fashion. Bespoke services remain important to its image, while ready-to-wear and leather accessories provide a wider commercial expression of the house. Berluti was acquired by LVMH in 1993 and subsequently became part of the conglomerate's portfolio of luxury maisons. Under LVMH ownership, Berluti expanded its retail presence and broadened its product scope. In 2012, it acquired the Paris tailor house Arnys and introduced its first prêt-à-porter menswear collections, linking its traditional footwear expertise with tailoring and a more complete wardrobe proposition. The company also expanded its creative and cultural activities through collaborations, art-related initiatives, eyewear, and fashion presentations. The house has worked with several prominent creative leaders. Alessandro Sartori led the brand from 2011 to 2016, followed by Haider Ackermann from 2016 to 2018 and Kris Van Assche from 2018 to 2021. Van Assche also oversaw a reworking of the Berluti logo, based on a mark found carved into a shoe last and developed with the Paris design studio M/M Paris. After Van Assche's departure, Berluti operated without a permanent creative director for a period and returned to the Paris Fashion Week calendar in 2023. Antoine Arnault, son of LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault, headed Berluti from 2011 to 2023. Berluti's manufacturing structure combines Parisian corporate and design heritage with specialized production in Italy. Footwear and leather goods are produced in Gaibanella, in the municipality of Ferrara, while the brand's corporate headquarters are located on rue Marbeuf in Paris. Its international boutique network and online presence serve customers across major luxury markets. The house also designed ceremonial uniforms for the French team at the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in France, extending its tailoring and formalwear expertise into a prominent national event. Berluti remains an active LVMH luxury brand whose positioning rests on craftsmanship, men's elegance, leather expertise, bespoke service, and controlled expansion beyond shoes.
History
Berluti was founded in Paris in 1895 by Alessandro Berluti, an Italian shoemaker from the Marche region. From its beginning, the house concentrated on high-quality men's footwear and on the technical and aesthetic treatment of leather. Its identity developed around made-to-measure shoes, careful shaping, and unusually sophisticated finishing of skins such as calfskin, kangaroo leather, and alligator. The brand later became especially associated with layered patina work, in which color is applied and polished to produce depth, tonal variation, and a distinctive surface rather than a uniform industrial finish. The business was subsequently associated with Olga Squeri, known professionally as Olga Berluti, whose role helped preserve and develop the house's artisanal identity. Berluti remained a specialist luxury shoemaker for much of its early history, with Paris serving as the center of its creative and corporate presence. In 1993, the brand was acquired by LVMH. The transaction placed Berluti within one of the world's largest luxury groups and created the basis for broader investment, retail development, and category expansion while maintaining its connection to high-end men's footwear. The most important phase of diversification came in the 2010s. In 2011, Alessandro Sartori became creative director, and Olga Berluti was named creative director of the Berluti Art line. During the same period, Antoine Arnault headed the brand. Berluti expanded beyond shoes into a wider men's wardrobe, including leather accessories and clothing. In 2012, the company acquired Arnys, a Paris tailor house, and launched its first prêt-à-porter menswear collections. This move connected Berluti's shoemaking heritage with tailoring and ready-to-wear, allowing the brand to present itself as a complete men's luxury house rather than only a footwear specialist. Berluti also pursued cultural and design projects. In 2013, it worked with Dutch artist Maarten Baas on a series of sculptures. In 2014, Isabella Capece Galeota became director of image and communications. From 2011 to 2014, the company expanded its boutique network and product offer; the reference material describes growth from fewer than 30 million euros in annual revenue to 100 million euros during that period, alongside the acquisition of a custom atelier and an increase to 46 boutiques. Those figures are not reproduced here as financial data because the available reference does not provide a sufficiently direct financial source for independent verification. Creative direction continued to evolve. Haider Ackermann succeeded Sartori in 2016 and served until 2018. In 2017, Berluti introduced eyewear through a collaboration with Oliver Peoples. Kris Van Assche became creative director in 2018 and reinterpreted the existing logo. His version drew on a mark found carved into a shoe last and was developed with M/M Paris, linking the visual identity to the brand's craft history. Van Assche remained in the role until 2021. Berluti's production model combines Parisian headquarters and brand heritage with specialized Italian manufacturing. Footwear and leather goods are produced in Gaibanella, within the municipality of Ferrara, while the corporate headquarters are located on rue Marbeuf in Paris. After Van Assche's departure, the label operated without a permanent creative director for a period. It returned to Paris Fashion Week in 2023, signaling an effort to maintain fashion visibility while continuing to rely on its established leather and tailoring codes. In 2024, Berluti designed uniforms for the French team at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France. The assignment placed the house's formalwear and tailoring capabilities in a high-profile national setting. Today, Berluti remains an active LVMH subsidiary offering bespoke and ready-to-wear shoes, boots, leather goods, tailoring, menswear, eyewear, and accessories. Its enduring differentiation is the combination of artisanal footwear, personalized service, distinctive patina finishing, and a restrained luxury image aimed primarily at men's fashion and luxury consumers.
- 2024
French Olympic and Paralympic uniforms
[1]The house designs uniforms for the French team at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France.
- 2023
Return to Paris Fashion Week
[1]Berluti returns to the Paris Fashion Week calendar while operating without a permanent creative director.
- 2021
Kris Van Assche leaves the creative-director role
[1]Van Assche's tenure ends, after which Berluti operates for a period without a permanent creative director.
- 2018
Kris Van Assche joins and the logo is reworked
[1]Kris Van Assche becomes creative director and develops a revised Berluti logo with M/M Paris based on a mark found on a shoe last.
- 2017
Eyewear collection is introduced
[1]Berluti enters eyewear through a collaboration with Oliver Peoples.
- 2016
Haider Ackermann becomes creative director
[1]Ackermann succeeds Alessandro Sartori as the house's creative director.
- 2013
Collaboration with Maarten Baas
[1]Berluti works with Dutch artist Maarten Baas on a series of sculptures.
- 2012
Arnys is acquired and prêt-à-porter is launched
[1]Berluti acquires Paris tailor house Arnys and introduces its first ready-to-wear menswear collections.
- 2011
Alessandro Sartori becomes creative director
[1]Sartori begins a creative-director tenure during a period of broader category and retail development for the house.
- 1993
LVMH acquires Berluti
[1]Berluti becomes part of LVMH, providing the brand with the resources of a major international luxury group.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
High-end men's luxury centered on artisanal shoemaking, bespoke service, distinctive leather patina, and understated Parisian elegance.
Luxury footwear · 1895
Bespoke footwear
Berluti's bespoke shoes represent the house's traditional core. They are made around individualized measurements and lasts, with attention to silhouette, construction, leather selection, and hand finishing. The offering is closely associated with formal men's footwear and with the house's ability to create highly personalized surfaces and color treatments. Bespoke service reinforces Berluti's positioning as an artisanal luxury shoemaker rather than a conventional ready-to-wear footwear label.
Luxury footwear
Ready-to-wear shoes and boots
The ready-to-wear footwear range translates Berluti's shoemaking codes into repeatable collections of formal shoes, loafers, and boots. Products use the brand's characteristic attention to leather quality, shaping, polishing, and patina. This category makes the house's visual language available beyond bespoke clients while retaining a premium, dress-oriented character.
Luxury leather goods
Leather goods
Berluti produces belts, bags, wallets, and other small leather goods. These items extend the brand's leather-finishing expertise into everyday accessories and often use the same polished, tonal patina associated with its footwear. The category supports the house's broader lifestyle proposition and provides a more accessible entry point than bespoke shoes while remaining within the high-end luxury segment.
Luxury menswear · 2012
Menswear and tailoring
Following the acquisition of Arnys and the launch of prêt-à-porter in 2012, Berluti developed tailored clothing and ready-to-wear menswear. The range broadens the house from a footwear specialist into a complete men's wardrobe brand, with tailoring, formal clothing, and fashion-led seasonal pieces complementing its shoes and leather accessories.
Fashion accessories · 2017
Eyewear
Berluti introduced a sunglasses collection in collaboration with Oliver Peoples in 2017. The line applies the house's luxury positioning and design language to eyewear, adding an accessories category beyond footwear, tailoring, and leather goods.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024French Olympic and Paralympic opening-ceremony uniforms
France · International
Berluti designed uniforms for the French team at the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in France.
Outcome. The project placed Berluti's formalwear and tailoring capabilities in a high-profile national and international setting.
- 2017Oliver Peoples eyewear collaboration
International
Berluti introduced sunglasses through a collaboration with Oliver Peoples, bringing its luxury design codes into eyewear.
Outcome. The collaboration expanded Berluti's accessories presence beyond leather goods and footwear.
- 2013Maarten Baas sculpture collaboration
International
Berluti collaborated with Dutch artist Maarten Baas on a series of sculptures, using an art project to extend the house's craft and design identity beyond commercial footwear and apparel.
Outcome. The project contributed to Berluti's association with contemporary art and collectible design.
Brand decisions
2023
Return to Paris Fashion WeekStrategyBackground
Berluti was operating without a permanent creative director following Kris Van Assche's departure.
Action taken
The house returned to the Paris Fashion Week calendar.
Aftermath
The move maintained Berluti's visibility within the international fashion system while its creative-director structure remained in transition.
2018
Rework the Berluti visual identityStrategyBackground
The brand sought to refresh its visual language while maintaining a link to its shoemaking heritage.
Action taken
Creative director Kris Van Assche developed a revised logo with M/M Paris, drawing on a mark found carved into a shoe last.
Aftermath
The logo connected Berluti's contemporary identity with a physical artifact from its craft tradition.
2012
Acquire ArnysM&ABackground
Berluti sought to expand from specialist footwear into a broader men's luxury wardrobe.
Action taken
The company acquired Paris tailor house Arnys and launched its first prêt-à-porter menswear collections.
Aftermath
Berluti added tailoring and ready-to-wear to its established footwear and leather-goods offer.
1993
Join the LVMH portfolioM&ABackground
Berluti was an established specialist in luxury men's footwear and leather craftsmanship.
Action taken
LVMH acquired Berluti, making the house an LVMH subsidiary.
Aftermath
The acquisition enabled broader retail, product, and organizational development while preserving Berluti's specialist luxury positioning.
Recent events
- 2024
Berluti designs French Olympic and Paralympic opening-ceremony uniforms[1]
Campaign · Other
Berluti designed uniforms for the French team at the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games held in France.
- 2023
Berluti returns to Paris Fashion Week without a creative director[1]
Leadership change · Other
Berluti returned to the Paris Fashion Week calendar after a period in which the brand did not have a permanent creative director. Kris Van Assche had most recently held the role from 2018 to 2021.
Sources3 sources
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