Ahead of the opening of its new flagship store in Dubai, Pal Zileri’s CEO Paolo Roviera explains why the key to success lies in being unique
Many concept stores do far more than just sell clothes. Sometimes they serve drinks, food, music, motorbikes… Is that something Pal Zileri might start doing in future?
We’re not ruling it out. But sometimes features like that are not planned.
A good example is the Galleria in Milan. The area was historically dedicated to holding marriages, and so if you want to open a shop in that area, you had to have a bar or restaurant on the premises.
Gucci just opened in the Galleria and had to serve drinks in its store. I’d say it’s more about the space you find – and what you can do with that space – rather than opening up a new shop and purposely for that reason.
Does Pal Zileri have anything similar?
We have something that’s not exactly a bar, but it is interesting.
I believe men don’t like shopping that much. Men shop when they have to, at least for clothing. You visit a store when you need something in particular. So we tried to make shopping a bit more entertaining.
For instance, in the Dubai store, you’ll find a room with something you probably don’t expect. It’s filled with vintage record players, along with vinyl records. You can pick what you want and listen to whatever music you might want. I guess if you were to try and describe it as a concept, it would be entertainment.
How much of this process are you directly involved in?
I always say my biggest contribution to the company was to put together an A-Team.
When you hire the right people, you don’t make them do the work you think they should do. It limits them. Why would I hire someone talented in a particular field, and then tell him how to do that job.
As far as I am concerned, I set the vision of the company and then get out the way and let them do what they do best.
Do you think men’s fashion has changed over the last decade?
For sure. We’ve all changed the way we dress. If I were here five years ago, I’d be wearing a tie and a suit. Today, everything is a lot more casual.
Formal wear is a little less formal, and comfortable sportswear is becoming suitable to wear at formal events. I think this is a reflection on how our lifestyles have changed. Travel is bigger now, and men want to buy and wear products that are functional and easy to take care of.
The luxury business is projecting a hard year ahead. Do you think that holds true for the new store here?
There is less traffic in the malls and lower footfall now. But what I always appreciate about Dubai is its ability to evolve and grow.
I have to give credit to the way they manage businesses here; they keep investing. Which means when the traffic starts to become more frequent and regular, they can take advantage while everyone else tries to catch up.
In a way, every city is in competition – and they need to create something unique to that destination. I think from that point of view; Dubai has done an excellent job.
Next year I want to bring my son here, to visit Atlantis on the Palm. For a kid, that’s a unique experience: sleeping in a room under the sea, opening the windows and seeing fish swimming by. You don’t get that anywhere else.
Even in stores – I walked into the Tom Ford store here, and a staff member immediately recognised that I was wearing a pair of Tom Ford sneakers. I think that sometimes the staff here are even better trained than those that come directly from stores in Italy.