Italian leather goods group Piquadro is keen to boost its presence in Asia, where it currently generates approximately 3% of total revenue, and has set its sights especially on South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan.

 
“In Asia, we’re currently operating 14 Piquadro stores (four directly owned stores in Taiwan and 10 franchised ones, of which two in Malaysia, one in Uzbekistan and seven in Korea), plus three franchised Lancel stores, in Lebanon, the UAE and Qatar. We’re planning to open another two Piquadro stores and one The Bridge store in Taiwan, and a franchised Lancel store in Doha,” said Marco Palmieri, the group’s founder and CEO, speaking to FashionNetwork.com. “Revenue-wise, our main Asian markets are Taiwan, the UAE, Kyrgyzstan and China. We believe that the region will be able to post double-digit growth in the next few years,” he added. In April, Piquadro will gain a foothold in Indonesia, in collaboration with a leading retail partner.
 
Meanwhile, following the success of the collaboration which began last year, Piquadro has confirmed Korean actor Jung Sung Il, renowned for his style and magnetic on-screen presence, as brand ambassador. He has been featuring on Piquadro’s official media platforms since late February, with a special focus on key APAC markets such as Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea.

 
Jung Sung Il stars as himself in the campaign, showing both his personal and professional sides and reflecting Piquadro’s distinctive character, a blend of innovative design, high performance and quality. The photo-shoot took place at an exclusive location in Seoul.
 
“Piquadro is a brand that perfectly fuses innovation with design and functionality. Working with a brand that pays so much attention to detail and quality has been a stimulating and natural experience for me. Piquadro accessories are designed for people always on the go, just like me, and strike the perfect balance between elegance and performance. I am happy to continue our collaboration and to be able to bring Piquadro’s vision to Asian markets,” said Jung Sung Il.

In Italy, Piquadro is planning to open a store in Corso Matteotti in Milan next June. “The store extends over 300 square metres with four shop-windows, and will become an experiential hub where customers will be able to discover the Piquadro world in an immersive way,” said Palmieri. “Our goal is to go beyond the traditional retail concept, offering a dynamic, interactive environment in which innovation, design and performance come together. Thanks to our partnership with the Visa Cash App RB F1 motor racing team, and our exclusive collaboration with Ducati, the new store will host F1 and Moto GP simulators, becoming a venue where technology and adrenaline combine to give visitors a unique experience,” he added.
 
Piquadro continues to collaborate with iconic Italian motorbike maker Ducati, with which it presented a capsule collection at Pitti Uomo in January. The collection features two roll-top backpacks in rubberised fabric, special versions of the best-selling Piquadro Corner line, and three trolleys, two in polycarbonate and a premium aluminium model, available in a limited and numbered edition of only 300 units.