Business Spotlight
Tiziano Zorzan, bringing Italian style to NYC
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
In the window of Tiziano Zorzan’s
Bleecker St. boutique a mannequin
sports an orange silk dress with a
skirt that moves gently in an artifi cial
breeze. “We like to share an experience
with our customers,” Zorzan said.
The Milan native currently has three
boutiques in the city. There’s the 380
Bleecker St. location — described as
his “home base” — between Perry and
Charles Sts.; a spot at 69 Eighth Ave.,
between 13th and 14th Sts.; and one at
829 Washington St., in the Meatpacking
District.
Each location refl ects its surroundings:
Bleecker St. is quieter while the
Washington St. boutique is bit more
buzzing given the foot traffi c from the
neighboring High Line.
But the ethos at each location is the
same. Namely, staff treat each customer
like a guest visiting their home,
with care, respect and honesty. When
a customer steps into one of Zorzan’s
boutiques, it should feel as if she is perusing
garments in a friend’s closet.
The store’s layout is designed to refl
ect this welcoming, homey vibe, as
well.
Inside the boutique, clothing is hung
on racks spaced out around the fl oor’s
perimeter — again, giving the casual
feeling of looking through a friend’s
closet.
The spacing also works to showcase
the high-end fabrics used to create each
piece.
The material Zorzan uses to create
his dresses, blouses, trousers, bags and
shoes are sourced from the top 20 Italian
fabric producers.
The silks — chiffon, organza, Georgette
and Jacquard — come from Lake
Como, the silk capital of the country.
The leather comes from France. The
wool and cashmere are from the city of
Biele, Italy.
The shoes are made in Le Marche,
the country’s most renowned artisanal
shoemaking region.
Just like the customers that step into
the boutiques, each one of Zorzan’s
pieces is unique. The designer only creates
between 14 and 20 pieces of each
item.
When someone enters the boutique,
she is shown the collection and given
explanations about the pieces. A glass
Pieces at Tiziano Zorzan’s Washington St. boutique.
Stylish shoes on display at Tiziano Zorzan’s boutique.
of Italian wine is offered as she looks at
the fi ne garments.
As a customer tries them on, Zorzan
will offer thoughts on whether a
color accentuates her skin tone or eye
color, or whether the cut of a dress is
overpowering or empowering. To him,
clothing should both feel and look elegant,
accentuating the wearer’s inner
and outer beauty.
COURTESY TIZIANO ZORZAN
COURTESY TIZIANO ZORZAN
“You can be an accountant,” Zorzan
said. “You can be a stylist. You can be
a fashion designer. You can be a businessman
or whatever.
“But you can do it with style.”
Schneps Media TVG August 29, 2019 19