Stefano Ricci’s Niccolò Ricci on Why Real Luxury Means Never Compromising – And Why Americans Are Ready For It

Photo Credit: Massimo Sestini

Few luxury brands are as synonymous with modern Italian excellence as Stefano Ricci — a Florentine house built on uncompromising craftsmanship, rare materials, and a deeply ingrained sense of heritage. Founded in Tuscany and still rooted there today, the brand has long represented a very particular vision of luxury: one that values discretion over logos, savoir-faire over spectacle, and continuity over trend. At the helm is Niccolò Ricci, the brand’s CEO since 2007 and a second-generation steward of the family business. Born in Florence and trained in business administration, Ricci’s path into leadership was deliberate and international in scope — beginning with formative experience in the United States before returning to Italy to guide Stefano Ricci’s global expansion and retail strategy. Under his leadership, the brand has strengthened its presence worldwide while remaining fiercely committed to Italian production and artisanal integrity. Beyond Stefano Ricci, Niccolò Ricci plays an influential role in shaping the broader landscape of Italian menswear and luxury. He serves on the boards of Pitti Immagine, one of the world’s most important menswear platforms, and has recently been nominated president of Polimoda, Florence’s internationally recognized fashion school, reinforcing his commitment to both heritage and the future of the industry. In this conversation, Ricci reflects on leadership, legacy, and what it means to guide a luxury house forward without losing sight of where it began.

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

It’s been a lot of growth for Stefano Ricci in recent months, especially in the States. What continues to foster and grow the brand in America?

America today is around 20 percent of our business. I always say that when you’re successful in the States, you’re successful everywhere — and it’s true. At the moment, we have our shops in Beverly Hills, Miami, Houston, Vegas, and New York. Washington is about to come. 2025 was a great year — double-digit growth for us.

What do you think resonates most with Americans in relation to the brand?

I think the fact that we are loyal to our DNA — we have not done secondary lines, we’ve not done discounts within the stores, we keep the image always extremely high. The kind of communication we have done through the last years with the Explorer Project elevates the perception that the American consumer has towards our brand. We never compromise.

Do you feel each of the different cities represents the brand differently?

I think there is a different clientele. Of course, it’s obvious that New York is more sartorial — shirts and ties. Even though previously Miami was more associated with sportswear, we can see that now a lot of businessmen have transferred to Miami, so there is a swap between them. Beverly Hills, of course, is a lot of casualwear. Washington, we’re going to have a nice selection of sartorial. Depending on the city, there is a different edge between more casualwear and more sartorial. And this is how we address the consumer and its location.

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

Let’s talk about Casa Stefano Ricci in Singapore. I hear there are some extremely unique offerings there.

When I first entered the company, the main target was to be perceived as a 360-degree lifestyle brand. And in that sense, Casa Stefano Ricci is the essence of our DNA. We found this amazing location on Orchard Road, a unique building where we’ve been able to offer a cigar lounge using the finest materials — our own walnut and marble. And then we’ve [erected] an installation made by Mellini, an artisan that decorates glasses and crystal. You really experience our world: fabrics by Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a mill we own that was founded in 1786. There is the crystal engraving workshop that we acquired last summer, Moleria Locchi. And together with that, we have all the silverware pieces that we produce internally in our facility in Florence. Besides this, over the last few years we also opened two suites — one in Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte in Viareggio and the other one in Castelfalfi, which is the first Italian resort managed by Discovery Land Company, the company that manages Yellowstone Club and other locations around North America.

I want to talk a little bit about the Explorer Project and why it’s so important. Through the years, we went from national geometry to the beauty of art, making comparisons with our collection and art. We went then into Italian beauties. Our last project is the Explorer Project. I think that the most important aspect of our lives is having the time and the freedom to discover the world and travel through its most unique places, like Luxor, Iceland, Galapagos, Mongolia, Cambodia, Peru, India, and Patagonia. It’s something that is very personal to me and my brother, Filippo. It really helps us to, first of all, discover the world. Second is having this amazing, unique background to show our collection, which is present but not the protagonist. The protagonist is the beauty of the places that we visit, that we explore, and that we tell the world stories about. And of course, wherever we go, we always try to leave a concrete, real sign of our support to these unique locations, supporting NGOs that could go from supporting wildlife to the artisan heritage like we’ve done in Peru.

How do these campaigns influence how the company thinks about sustainability and legacy?

I think that the real sustainability to our world is done by creating and passing down the heritage of the know-how of our workers to the next generation. We have an internal school where we can really hand down what our master artisans know. Besides that, we do everything possible to sustain our ecosystem by trying to reduce the pollution that our suppliers may create within the fabric; we always work with a supply chain that is totally certified.

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci

Stefano Ricci is the antithesis to the world of fast fashion. What does true craftsmanship mean to you today?

True craftsmanship is something where you don’t look at the clock. Meaning: if something has to be done properly, it has to be done properly. There’s not somebody looking at the watch saying, ‘You have to do it faster.’ Quality is when you produce something that doesn’t 100 percent fit the quality requested, you start again. You throw it away. You need to be able to deliver the most unique products with the best quality and the best workmanship. There are people who look at minutes, and we don’t even look at hours. I think this is the difference.

Looking ahead, how do you feel that the brand will continue to define the concept of luxury?

Your need to share a very long-term vision with your team, and you don’t have to compromise. You have to follow your path. You have to keep opening shops in great locations that embrace your DNA. You should always research finer fabrics, finer threads, finer ways of tanning the skins. A couple of years ago, we discovered Alpha Yarn, the thinnest cashmere thread in the world. We still keep on searching. You never stop. Luxury is surprising high-end consumers with something new that gives them some good energy, good vibes, and makes them smile and think, ‘Oh, this is new. I’ve never heard about it. I love it. I need it.’

What to you is the greatest luxury in life and why?

The greatest luxury in life is having time to travel — and travel in the right way, a luxurious way. Exploring isn’t just about nature, but about food; exploring different types of cuisine with local chefs, which for me ranges from three Michelin star [fare] to street food.

Any last thoughts?

We are looking at new locations. I think our idea would be to open one or two boutiques in the U.S. over the next three years.    

Photo Credit: Stefano Ricci