Loro Piana Travels to 18th-century Scottish Castle

MILAN — Loro Piana is certainly representative of Made in Italy excellence and craftsmanship, but it is also a global company that sources its wool, mohair, vicuña, cashmere and other precious fabrics from countries around the world. In particular, the brand is strongly connected to Scotland and for fall it has chosen the country as the setting for its campaign.

Marking its centenary this year with the heritage collection, the campaign was photographed by Mario Sorrenti against the backdrop of the striking Inveraray Castle owned by Torquhil Campbell, the 13th Duke of Argyll.

Scotland is the land of the cheviot, the typically Scottish woollen fabric, but it is also where Loro Piana first came to know about the virtues of the fiore di cardo, the thistle flower, which has been part of its coat of arms since 1951. For fall, Loro Piana made a bigger statement in jewelry as the thistle, that was used historically as a tool to raise and brush cashmere in its factory, was turned into golden pins that closed jacket collars. The styling tip nodded to the way the late Sergio Loro Piana used to store jackets in his wardrobe, with the lapels closed and pinned to maintain the softness of the fold. 

 “Loro Piana is a story of an incredible family and for the heritage collection I wanted to keep this familiar spirit in the shoot,  always with a sophisticated ease and timeless, whispered elegance,” said Sorrenti, touting Scotland’s  “dramatic landscapes” and the beauty of the 18th-century Inveraray Castle.

Models Bibi Breslin, Anok Yai, Angelina Kendall, Leon Dame and Woosang Kim are portrayed in groups or alone in the countryside, on the grounds of the castle, its turrets and stark stones towering in the background, or inside the library for example, in relaxed and convivial moments.

The sophisticated fall collection reprised many of the brand’s key fabrications, including the Sopra Visso wool sourced in Italy’s Sibillini Mountains used to craft cropped jackets and pencil skirts, or the exclusive Pecora Nera naturally dark wool sourced in New Zealand. The rich textures of the clothing, in light camel, tundra, mossy brown, tawny bark mélange and deep burgundy, blended in with the atmosphere of Scotland, the cloudy skies and greenery of the landscape and the richly decorated interiors of the castle.