Italian industrial hub HModa sets up shop in France

Bringing together 19 Italian manufacturers serving luxury brands, HModa now intends to create a transalpine network of experienced suppliers, into which it plans to invest “tens of millions of euros” in France. With this in mind, the HModa 126 site was inaugurated in Aubervilliers on December 10.

Located at 126 rue des Fillettes in Aubervilliers, this 1,500-square-metre site was inaugurated in the presence of the town’s mayor and the President of the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council. Previously operated by Nike Inc., which used it as a showroom, the site is a warehouse dating from 1880 that has been given a new lease of life to welcome its new occupant.

HModa has established itself in an area where Chanel, Hermès, Berluti, and Moynat have already set up operations. The industrial hub offers an on-site prototyping workshop, a training centre, and a research and archives centre designed to inspire visitors.

Visitors are also greeted by an imposing showroom spotlighting the creations and expertise of the industrial hub, with a wealth of shoes, coats, and dresses exploring combinations of materials.

“We bring together companies producing ready-to-wear, footwear, leather goods, and textiles. So everything a designer or brand could want for their collection is here,” sums up president and founder Claudio Rovere. “We won’t be a brand, but we’ll always be at their service. And there is a natural complementarity between France, the world capital of creativity and luxury, and Italy, one of the most important manufacturing nations in the world.”

HModa’s aim is therefore to create, this time in France, a network of textile companies meeting the market’s various needs. The goal is to attract orders from major luxury houses which, although they have brought much of their production in-house, still prize the flexibility and responsiveness provided by an external partner, according to Claudio Rovere.

“We’re not going to limit ourselves to working with major brands or to imposing quantities; we also want to work with organisations and designers keen to push the boundaries of craftsmanship,” the executive further explains to FashionNetwork.com. “This helps support the development of tomorrow’s big names, and it is always beneficial for a manufacturer to take on new challenges in terms of creativity and innovation.”

Since May, HModa’s French operations have been led by Gilles Lasbordes, a well-known figure in both the French and Italian textile industries, having headed the Première Vision trade shows for a decade. For now, he is supported at 126 by a team of 10, which will gradually grow to around 30 as the company ramps up.

Founded in 2008, HModa’s 19 manufacturers account for around 2,300 craftspeople. Their combined turnover is expected to exceed €300 million in 2025. The industrial hub’s latest move was the acquisition, in July, of a 60% stake in Manrico S.p.A., an Italian specialist in luxury cashmere.