Love + Fashion = Massimo Bonini

An amorous relationship, many times, gives birth to a lucrative business venture. The union of two hearts is the springboard of a partnership that melts even the most difficult challenges in the boardroom.

The love story of couple Massimo Bonini and Sabrina Scarpellini — owners of Massimo Bonini, a premier Italian showroom for the most exclusive and fashionable lines of footwear and accessories from Italian and international brands — attests that lovers can also be successful business partners. They met through a common friend in the early ‘80s in Milan where they are both from.

“We became best of friends for three years,” says Sabrina.

“Then we fell in love and became lovers,” Massimo quickly adds.

“We were engaged for six years before we got married. We’ve been married for 22 years now,” Sabrina says.

“And while we were engaged, we ventured into business. All the more we have fallen in love with each other,” Massimo says, his smile crisscrossing his handsome face while his beautiful wife caresses his hand.

Massimo, who learned to choose his own clothes and become fashionable at the age of 11, was a salesman for Casadei shoes when he met the sartorially savvy Sabrina, then a Language major in a university

in Milan.

It was love for each other and a promise of giving one another a bright future that prompted them to start Massimo Bonini in 1985 at Via Montenapoleone in Milan using their personal capital. Milan, they say, was bursting with “fashion energy” and it was not an uncommon happenstance that they would fall for the lure of a fashion business. Milan remains to be a fashion capital of the world.

From their showroom in Milan, the enterprising couple — Massimo is the president of their business while Sabrina is the CEO — opened another one in Paris in 1992. In 1995, Massimo Bonini opened its multi-brand luxury showroom in London. Now, the couple, who started their business in 1985, have 85 showrooms around the world. They invest “a lot in Asia and the US now” especially after the warm reception of clients to their products in Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. The couple started doing business in the late ‘80s with Joyce Ma, founder of Joyce Boutique, a famous and influential fashion retailing company in Hong Kong and mainland China.  

A Massimo Bonini store opened in the Philippines in November 2013 at the 2/3 Mid-level Shangri-La Plaza, East Wing. Massimo and Sabrina were recently in Manila to unveil Massimo Bonini’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

“We ventured into women’s shoes first because accessories and shoes that time were not given much importance in fashion. Focus then was on pret-a-porter. After three years, we introduced in our showroom men’s shoes,” Sabrina recounts how they started, adding that it is more challenging to make and source high-quality men’s shoes.

Though shoes comprised 70 percent of sales in their showrooms around the world, Massimo and Sabrina also added bags in their fast-moving inventory in 2000. Three years ago, Massimo Bonini started to carry jewelry lines, too.

“We started with one brand — Calista. Now we have 40 brands,” Massimo proudly announces. These brands include Versace, Versus, Roberto Cavalli, Amuse, Azzurra Gronchi, BB Washed, Bruno Bordese, Campanile, Design Inverso, Ernesto Esposito, Etro, Gedebe, Giambattista Valli, Gianvito Rossi, Henderson, J. Holbens, Kallisté, Kartell, McQ, Missoni, MSGM, N21, Officine Marini, Sebastian and Thomas Blakk.

Every brand they have in their stores and showrooms resplendently characterizes the integrity that the couple upholds. “It is our business philosophy to do things the best way we can — observing high quality of standards because that is the only way we will stay in the market. Integrity is important because integrity protects our name,” says Massimo.

Sabrina adds that integrity is something that is not only observed in their business — “but also in our home.” They are proud to tell all that their two children — Giorgia, 21 and Filippo, 20 — are beginning to be involved in their business as they put the “modern, contemporary touches” in Massimo Bonini. Giorgia pursues Fashion Business in a university in London and soon will move to New York to study fashion also. Filippo is studying a degree in Economics in Milan.

The couple say they always remind their children to be loyal and honest and to keep the reputation of the family and the business intact.

“The passion for each other,” Sabrina says while glancing lovingly at her husband beside her, “is also the passion we pour into our business and family.”

“The best part of having my wife as my business partner is that I get to share with her everything that I have. She is a force I cannot ignore. She is a force that I love,” Massimo adds.

They both agree that their disagreements when it comes to business matters are the binding factors that solidify their relationship. They can be both headstrong but they always manage to soften up at the end of the day because “we have love and respect and trust for each other.”

Sabrina admits that she melts every time she becomes a recipient of her husband’s positive energy. “He is so positive that he can see life with the right perspective. He likes to be happy all the time. And for that I am grateful.”

And that is how the couple want to keep Massimo Bonini — with a happy and grateful perspective. From that vantage point, a joyful union of love and fashion is achieved.

(For your new beginnings, e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com.

I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagram @bumtenorio.

Have a blessed Sunday!)