MILAN — At a time of global upheaval caused by geopolitical and economic headwinds, business woes are trickling down to all fashion segments and positionings. As consumers turn their back on luxury and high-end fashion, there may be renewed potential for the contemporary market.

In one example of resilience amid turmoil, the Bologna, Italy-based Imperial group is betting on its capabilities to provide fashion-savvy customers with a value-for-money offering driven by creativity and a slower trend pace compared to fast-fashion players.

The group was established in 1978 by Adriano Aere and Emilia Giberti and currently counts about 1,000 employees globally.

Parent to the Imperial, Dixie and Please brands, the company logged 230 million euros in 2024 sales, flat versus the previous year.

A wholesale-driven business with almost 4,000 accounts in Europe and Hong Kong, the company is making baby steps toward the expansion of its international footprint and retail operations. The group currently counts 73 flagships across its three brands.

“The contemporary segment where our brands operate is facing a challenging context, yet filled with opportunities,” said Giberti, group cofounder and president. “Over the past few years, we have proved our strength and adaptability, maintaining our market shares.”

The executive mentioned shifting purchasing habits, a stronger focus on sustainability and international competition as among the key challenges to handle.

The contemporary and fashion-driven Dixie brand, founded in 1996 by Masimo Frosini and Gianni Guastella and acquired by the Imperial group in 2014, has been a driving force for the fashion group.

Last year, the label expanded its presence in Switzerland, a strategic market, with store openings in Zurich and Locarno, as well as corners at the Manor department stores. The company also bowed its 24th Dixie boutique in Italy, with a new unit in Turin.

Similarly, the group has been investing on growing its hero brand Imperial, established by the group founders in 1978. Hinged on timeless womenswear and menswear with a toned-down fashion quotient compared to Dixie, the brand has added new boutiques in Switzerland’s Bellinzona, Signy and Vernier, in addition to a new flagship on Milan’s Piazza Cordusio, opened last March.

The company is concurrently looking at growing the menswear division of Imperial, which has been recently retooled to seize the opportunity of more frequent and target drops, with the launch of capsule collections throughout the year.

The showroom in Aix-en-Provence serving all three brands was significantly expanded last year to a 13,993-square-foot space, to further fuel the group’s footprint in France, where it currently counts about 1,400 retail partners.

Beyond consolidating existing markets for both brands — namely Germany and Spain, in addition to France — the company is focused on other key countries in Europe.

“We are committed to entering the Netherlands where we recently attended the Modefabriek fair in Amsterdam, the first concrete step to build relationships and local awareness. At the same time, we’re unlocking new opportunities in Belgium, a market that is commercially synergistic with France,” she said, adding Imperial has already accrued moderate penetration in the country.

“These steps are testament to the group’s commitment to growing on a global scale with a directly operated distribution model, flexible and keen on accommodating the needs of each market, without losing our consistency and positioning,” Giberti noted.

As business grows, the company is tapping into the increasing relevance of sustainability, debuting two eco-minded projects. The Dixie brand has unveiled Re-Stock, a capsule collection of seasonless garments crafted from deadstock fabrics, while Please — established by the group founders in 1993 and hinged on denim — has introduced the Eco Wash capsule of jeanswear treated with responsible technologies including ozone, laser and e-Flow.