When Vishal Advani left his investment banking job to join the family’s textile business, he saw that there was no one “developing fabrics with specific qualities and were curated, presented, and marketed to tailors”.
After further discussions with his Officine Paladino co-founder, Suraj Nanwani, they decided to fill this gap. He adds, “we wanted to create a product we could have a bit of fun with. Each of us had different skills we brought to the table. Suraj has decades of experience with fabrics; I focused on branding and managing the business.” Seven years later, Officine Paladino fabrics are now available in over 20 countries, with more coming.
A selection of fabric lookbooks from Officine Paladino. Image shot by DoNotDesign.
What has been the most memorable milestone for you?
Vishal: I’m very proud of how we present our collection. We have kept the values that we started the brand with. Our collections fit easily into everyday life for different lifestyles, and are produced sustainably with uncompromising quality.
Suraj: We have developed different aspects of qualities and designs. For example, one of our Eco-Evolution series comprise twill-weave fabrics with a soft touch and crease resistance. It’s unique in the market. We were unsure if it suited the brand at first but we are doing a second series.
Menswear influencer Fabio Attanasio, in a Officine Paladino OP1901 Sandcastle linen suit created by Dalcuore. Photo by Vincent Montuori. Officine Paladino’s fabrics are appreciated by tailoring connoisseurs such as Attanasio.
What defines a Paladino fabric?
V: I think our fabrics are distinct. It has a touch of creativity with functional qualities (e.g. crease resistance, stain repelling), and adapt to most lifestyles.
An image of a silk scarf depicting a graffiti artwork in Arab Street.
What led you to produce the new Quadro accessories collection?
V: It was born out of the success of our Aura lining fabrics. When that launched two years ago, the market response blew us away. Our clients enjoy personal expression with their kind of tailoring culture. From the lining fabrics, it was a natural extension to produce accessories that complete the look of the garment. Our Quadro pocket squares and scarves are made in Como, Italy, and printed on silk. Most of the designs come from the lining collection but we do have a few novelties in there too.
A selection of fabric swatches from the Officine Paladino Aura lining collection.
How do you balance creativity with commercial success?
S: I mentioned the twill-weave coat cloth that is exclusive to us, in our Eco-Evolution collection. It has a soft touch, is crease-resistant, water-repellent, and weighs around 290 grams so it’s an all-season fabric. We were the first to produce this so it was not possible to gauge the cloth’s commercial viability.
V: And I’m wearing a new fabric that’s not launched yet. It was inspired by a herringbone pattern that we liked. We were not sure about the feel of the cloth at first, but once it was tailored into a garment, all our concerns lifted. When you’re creating something new, it’s always a calculated risk.
A new twill-weave fabric from the Eco-Evolution 2.0 collection.
What can clients look forward to?
V: They should look to Officine Paladino for fabrics and products they cannot find anywhere else. This is something that inspires our work.
S: We’re reaching more markets and expanding existing ones, and each market brings new opportunities and product ideas to explore.
Last question: How did the name ‘Officine Paladino’ come about?
V: I’ll take ‘Officine’. It is Italian for workshop or laboratory, which sums up what we do. We’re not a mill; rather, we amalgamate different concepts and designs into a developed product.
S: ‘Paladino’ translates to paladin or knight. Suiting is referred to as modern armour, so it’s an association we like. There is a sword’s hilt is embedded in our logo, you see?
V: It also resembles the warp and weft of the fabric. So yeah, welcome to the Laboratory of the Knights.
