By
Gianluca Bolelli
Published July 13, 2026
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Carnet posts double-digit growth and surpasses 1,770 clients
ByGianluca Bolelli
PublishedJuly 13, 2026
Today, Carnet embodies Ratti’s vision of bespoke: a universe of more than 4,000 exclusive fabrics, rich in colours, jacquards, prints and innovative textures, placing at the disposal of the world’s leading tailors a constantly evolving creative heritage
“Carnet is in the midst of the transformation underway at parent company Ratti, but this business has already been through many such evolutions, because few people realise that Carnet is Italy’s oldest brand in the world of bespoke,” says the Belgian Tim Neckebroeck, who has been Carnet’s business unit director for four years, speaking to FashionNetwork.com.“The company was founded in 1865 as Fabbriche Riunite. They essentially offered a catalogue for tailors alone, selling fabrics as well as needles—in short, everything a tailor might need. There are only two brands older than us in this segment: the British Holland & Sherry and the French Dormeuil.”
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“In our current vision,” the Flemish executive continues, “we use ‘Modern Tailoring Fabrics’ as our tagline, because Carnet’s idea is this: those who dress bespoke naturally wear a classic suit, but at the weekend they still don’t want sleeves that stop halfway up the wrist, so we have sought to offer fabrics that can also be worn in more casual, off‑duty settings.”Hence, the concept behind Carnet’s Autumn/Winter 2027-28 collection, which presents four distinct projects in philosophy and expression, all dedicated to celebrating excellence through technological know‑how and colour—always the hallmark of the Guanzate (CO)-based company and its DNA. ‘Wool Bamboo’, ‘Checks and Solids’, ‘Narciso Viscose’ and ‘Smooth Velvet’ are designed to enrich the creative vocabulary of international bespoke tailoring. In particular, ‘Wool Bamboo’ is a fabric comprising wool with 42 per cent bamboo, giving warmth and a distinctly cashmere‑like hand. Bamboo is a sustainable, thermoregulating fibre. There is also a summer version in 100 per cent bamboo.
The fabric undergoes a treatment to reduce bamboo’s inherent sheen—a process also applied to viscose. With this special finishing, the brightness is toned down and the fabric acquires a far more masculine character. Another standout project is a smooth velvet that Carnet has overprinted.“Velvet: a marvellous material, but extremely difficult to produce, yet perfect for cutting a formal jacket. Here too, to give it a special touch, we’ve created both printed and flocked versions,” emphasises Neckebroeck. Carnet has also modernised the design of its logo. “We’ve kept the essentials,” explains Carnet’s director.“The name, where we’re from (Como) and the three yellow lines, which represent the waves of Lake Como. We also use a contrasting combination of grey and yellow in the bunches we give to tailors. These fabric bunches come in three shades of grey to make the tailor’s life much easier: light denotes summer, mid‑grey identifies fabrics suitable practically all year round, whilst dark is for winter. The various stripes indicate our price levels, so the tailor doesn’t have to put anyone in an awkward position. Very British,” he smiles. “I also think we’re the first tailoring company to have launched a chatbot on WhatsApp,” Neckebroeck points out. “We’ve called it Needle, and it immediately shows which fabric variants or colours are in stock and can be despatched within 24 hours.”
Carnet accounts for roughly 10 per cent of Ratti’s turnover, or around €7.5 million. In recent years, Carnet has recorded double‑digit growth and has always had a strong foothold in the Italian and wider European markets, including Eastern Europe.“Our focus is now shifting towards Asia and the Americas. In the United States, we have changed our distribution system,” reveals the Belgian manager.“We were still using a jobber—an independent wholesaler acting as our commercial intermediary. This jobber has now been converted into an agent, so we will have a much more active presence in that market, where we expect further double‑digit growth. Our geographical reach is expanding.” With 1,771 active clients in 2025, Carnet processes an average of more than 300 cuts a day. Parent company Ratti has 2,500, so the unstated aim is to reach at least that figure one day.“What matters is quality,” concludes Neckebroeck.
This article is a translation
Tags :FashionBusiness
