The tie remains timeless. And Maurizio Talarico, born in 1968, tells the story of a company that has been around for twenty years but is continuously growing. Despite the Covid-19 crisis - some industries in the sector have suffered up to a 70% drop in revenue - his turnover is increasing.
“It was almost one million euros in 2019; 1.3 million in 2020; 1.7 million last year,” explains the entrepreneur. The forecasts for this year are even more positive. By June, Talarico will land in Madrid: his third location abroad after Tokyo in 2009 and London in 2014. On the counter or in the window, there are always handcrafted ties. No more than three of each model. All made by hand. With the patented and unmistakable “x” stitching.
The story and perspective of Talarico is based on a dual track. Since he was 12 years old and living in Catanzaro, he has had an absolute passion for ties. Fabrics, designs, colors, patterns: examined, compared, and selected every day by Maurizio. Among the colors to choose from, “I prefer light blue to dark blue. Never orange or yellow.” Although there are foreign countries where they are in demand. The search for new designs is almost obsessive. “There are about 9,000 a year” considering geometric and chromatic variations.
Unique so far in Europe, he has launched the eco-responsible tie. On the website (www.talaricocravatte.it) it is the first visible banner. A sort of trade-in: you bring a used tie to the store, which entitles you to a 40% discount if you purchase a new one. Thus, those who are unaware discover the existence of a consortium for recycling used ties and selling those made from recycled silk. The fabric is different, but the designs are in the same style as the traditional ones. “The demand for an eco-sustainable tie is continuous, increasingly high. A concrete and visible sign, after all, of commitment to the environment.”
But a product to break through needs commercial action, strategic communication, and financial sustainability. This is the second track of the business that never stops. The story begins in 1999 in a shop “in the Capannelle area of Rome with almost door-to-door sales.” An impossible challenge against the giants of the sector. But the tenacity, indeed the stubbornness of Calabrians, does not stop.