Located at 600 Madison Avenue, the 3,200-square-foot shop has a dedicated area for made-to-measure and VIP Services.
While the old store was accented with dark gray marble displays and masculine mood lighting, frequent shoppers didn’t find it particularly visible—which is one of the key reasons for the move. “Many customers were claiming they didn’t know we had a store on Madison Avenue, despite the fact that we’d been there for 15 years,” Stefano Canali, the brand’s CEO, tellsThe new location is designed to welcome in more natural light, and to prompt new customers to walk in and explore the space.
“We wanted to mix the typical features of a luxury store with the not-that-common features of an Italian house in order to make space for an incoming customer,” Canali says. “I want to have a chance to create and host events, exhibitions and experiences to share with our customers in order to deliver a complete engaging experience for our customers.”
Given all the current shifts in menswear today, Canali’s offerings reflect how in tune the brand is with the times. I tried on a lightweight single-layer blazer with no shoulder pads, as well as a knit sport coat with elasticized cuffs at the opening. Both stylish pieces were a good indicator of the brand’s step toward more relaxed offerings that appeal to both younger and older crowds. “There’s no boundaries between the formal and the casual—they’re kind of blurred by now,” Stefano explains.
Canali’s Madison Avenue flagship is the first to showcase the new store concept. Its design elements will be applied to future store openings around the world, according to the brand. Luckily, fans of the brand won’t have to wait much longer. “We’re going to have many openings coming up next,” Canali says, noting that his family business will open new stores in France and China by the end of the year.