His reputation among Neapolitan aristocrats of the era was so immense that, in the early 1930s, he established his own house under the name London House. The name may sound somewhat odd, but Gennaro held a great admiration for British fabrics. At the same time, London was the undisputed centre of men`s elegance and style.
However, beyond his love for British textiles, his atelier focused on the concept of what today we call Neapolitan Style. In reality, it was the complete opposite of what was promoted by Savile Row. In the first case, the jackets were lightweight, soft, and characterised by loose shoulders that could be folded up to eight times; whereas, on the other hand, the Savile Row approach featured rigid padding, strict cuts, and jackets “built” to mould perfectly to the body.
The truth is that the fortune of Rubinacci belonged to what we might call old money, originating in the 19th century from their involvement in shipping. Gennaro, who also held the title of officer in the cavalry regiment, spent his leisure time mingling with the offspring of Italy’s noble families—until he decided to establish his own tailoring house. He often spent time at the family estate outside Naples, and made two or three trips annually to London for shopping and to seek out hiking sticks to enrich his collection. Although by then stripped of official royal or noble titles, the royal and princely families of Italy at that time still wielded considerable influence over the country’s social and cultural life. And of course, Gennaro, who was also an avid art collector, was friends with and exchanged visits with many of them, as they trusted him implicitly when it came to their appearance and sartorial needs.
In 1961, following Gennaro’s death, his son Mariano, who was just 18 years old, assumed control of the house. Very swiftly, after only two years, he renamed the company Rubinacci and updated the logo. He proved to be remarkably active, diligently carrying forward his father’s vision of Neapolitan elegance. Mariano expanded the brand globally by opening stores in Milan, London, and later in Tokyo, New York, and many other major cities around the world. In fact, during the opening of the London store in Mayfair—fifty years after the founding of the house by Gennaro—Mariano remarked, “Now the circle is complete,” clearly referencing his father Gennaro’s love for the British capital.
In its early years, the title of master tailor was held by none other than the renowned Cesare Attolini, who was also the principal collaborator with Gennaro in shaping the Neapolitan style—characterised by lightweight jackets and a more relaxed fit that gently contours the male physique. The influence of the house on contemporary men’s fashion is highly apparent, and it can even be seen in the work of Giorgio Armani. The atelier in Naples employs dozens of staff, including over twenty tailors, as each bespoke suit requires dozens of hours of meticulous craftsmanship and a minimum investment of €5,000.
However, today, Italian tailoring—at least in the men’s sector—seems to face an uncertain future, as fewer and fewer young people pursue careers in the craft. By contrast, the UK boasts the largest community of men`s suit tailors of any country. To address this challenge, Mariano and his son Luca, who has been the creative director since 2018, are actively recruiting young apprentices in an effort to preserve and nurture the art of Neapolitan tailoring for future generations.
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