Passion, determination, professionalism, dedication and an obsessive attention to detail: these are the defining attributes of 24-year-old Angela Anna Ammaturo, CEO of Frankie Morello, the innovative, desirable fashion label that has been much sought after since it was first seen on the world’s biggest celebrities.
The label, with its Made in Italy cachet and fine artisanal heritage, places the emphasis firmly on the uniqueness of its product, its high level of materials research and innovation, and its textile design which is now entrusted to a talented internal creative team. We met Angela Ammaturo at the company’s Milan headquarters and asked her how she is handling the responsibility of leading a business in a period of exponential growth, aiming to triple its turnover with a five-year investment plan. The Spring Summer 2017 collection marks the first stage of the new Frankie Morello project and coincides with another evolution: that of nature itself, when animals and plants change their appearance and colour depending on their habitat. Some try to blend in with their environment; others aim to draw attention to themselves with bright colours. The project represents a design evolution which has seen the brand modernise and develop its signature qualities and bring them right up to date. The Reborn in another world collection pulsates with explosive sensuality. It evokes a Seventies’ vibe and a sexy woman, coquettish and confident in showing off her romantic side. The collection leans toward a minimal aesthetic while still allowing space for a new kind of sophistication.
What is the Frankie Morello must-have piece every woman should have?
The Frankie Morello collection is very large and is aimed at the woman who loves a challenge and can make the brand’s philosophy her own. She is a modern woman who is constantly evolving. A must-have is the Reborn dress in technical silk with the #reborn print, pleated skirt and poplin collar and cuffs.
The brand is concentrating on design research and in doing so is setting itself apartin an increasingly global marketplace. It’s focusing on an investment plan and a marketing mix based on effective communication. Do you believe these strategies will succeed in taking the brand international?
I’m absolutely convinced of it. We focused first of all on the product, concentrating on underlining Frankie Morello’s position as a strong and recognisable brand. Today Frankie Morello represents a state of mind, a desire to stand out from the crowd by wearing individual pieces that each tell their own story. To communicate the uniqueness of our pieces, we developed a distinctive, multi- channel communication strategy. Our communication extends both online and offline: we connect with our clients through billboards, our newly redesigned website, print advertising campaigns, social networks, our storefronts and, coming soon, our virtual storefronts on our e-commerce site. Essentially we go to meet our clients wherever they are in their day to day lives. In terms of bringing the brand to an international market, we know our strategy was correct. Now, at the end of our second full season managing the brand, we have a consistent presence in 15 markets and have recently signed a joint venture with a large Chinese partner which will enable us to accelerate our expansion into the second largest consumer market in the world with a retail plan for 128 store openings in the next five years.
Why did you opt for an aggressive pricing policy combining high quality goods and mid-range prices?
We chose an aggressive commercial stategy which allows us to offer our clients both extremely high quality products and great value for money. Our brand proposition of high quality materials and manufacturing, extensive design research, combined with our capacity to produce relevant and innovative products at a price point that positions us between entry-level and the luxury market has, in a very short time, allowed us to establish a presence in the large stores that set trends on a global level.
What are your plans for the future?
One of the key projects we are working on currently is completing our lifestyle offering. In our second season, Autumn Winter 17/18, we extended our offering to include complete accessories collections comprising shoes, bags and jewellery and we will soon be launching our fragrance lines. In terms of retail, our plans cover not just the Chinese market, but will also soon encompass the opening of other flagship stores such as the one in Kiev, that we have opened, and the one in Rome in the opening phase.
by Anna Lorito
