PARIS — Steps from the iconic Avenue des Champs-Élysées, legendary Italian hatmaker Borsalino has officially opened the doors to its second standalone store in the French capital. The jewel box of a shop, measuring a mere 160 square feet, is tucked quietly away at 24 rue Marbeuf. Despite its diminutive footprint, the location serves as a powerful indicator of the 169-year-old brand’s much larger retail ambitions in the modern luxury landscape.
The storied Italian company is actively expanding its network of directly operated stores, steadily building a formidable presence in China, and carefully preparing to explore the lucrative U.S. market. At the same time, the brand is branching out into carefully curated lifestyle categories, all while keeping its legendary hats front and center in its core commercial offering.
In Paris, the new boutique joins an existing portfolio that includes an historic Left Bank address as well as two prominent department store corners. This latest opening is the culmination of a yearlong search for the ideal location, during which the brand worked diligently to translate its centuries-old heritage into a contemporary retail concept. Designed in close collaboration with architect Nicola Quadri, the intimate space successfully marries modern retail fixtures with rare vintage items. Among the standout design elements is a striking table created by the late architect Ignazio Gardella. The piece proved to be a remarkably lucky find for the brand, given that the legendary Italian industrial designer had previously worked on the design of Borsalino’s very first historical showroom back in the 1950s.
Further honoring its deep manufacturing roots, the interior features a custom checked pattern directly inspired by the uniforms historically worn by traditional hat-making workers. This motif has been thoughtfully reinterpreted for the walls and the carpet, while authentic hat-making forms and vintage tools are displayed throughout the boutique to give visitors a tactile understanding of the brand’s legendary craftsmanship.
The Paris debut forms a key part of Borsalino’s highly selective approach to physical retail growth, favoring strategic positioning over aggressive, rapid store-count expansion.
"To open a store is quite expensive, and we want to be profitable, and so we tested different activities," explained Borsalino general manager Mauro Baglietto. "The monobrand store is also a way to have a direct relationship with customers and explain what the new Borsalino is, and how contemporary we are."
The brand, which has been backed by the private equity firm Haeres Equita since 2018, has already proven to be remarkably successful within the travel retail sector. It has successfully established five standalone stores across key Italian airports, including two in Rome, two in Milan, and one in Venice.
These high-traffic travel hubs have played a crucial role in boosting overall brand awareness, transforming tourism into a major driver of commercial success. Foreign customers currently account for approximately 50 percent of total sales at Borsalino’s Milan flagship locations, according to Baglietto, with shoppers from the United States representing the largest single segment of international clientele. Baglietto noted that the company fully expects the share of international tourists visiting the new Paris boutique to match or even exceed that high benchmark.
Over the past five years, the company has dedicated substantial energy to completely revamping its brand image. This has been achieved by significantly expanding its women’s collection and developing softer, less-structured styles that appeal to contemporary tastes. While classic fedoras and Panama hats remain the foundational pillars of the business, newer introductions such as casual baseball caps, cozy beanies, and innovative packable designs that can be effortlessly folded into a travel suitcase have created fresh entry points for a younger, more dynamic clientele.
This modernization has naturally shifted the brand’s demographic mix. Globally, men currently account for roughly 60 percent of Borsalino’s customer base, with women making up the remaining 40 percent. However, this dynamic shifts significantly depending on the region; in China, those proportions are entirely reversed, with women comprising 60 percent of the brand’s shoppers.
China has quickly emerged as one of the company’s primary international expansion priorities. Following a successful six-month market test via a pop-up store in Shanghai, Borsalino officially opened a permanent boutique at the prestigious Plaza 66 luxury shopping center in September. According to brand executives, the local market reception has been exceptionally strong, particularly among younger consumers who display a deep appreciation for the company’s rich historical archives and traditional manufacturing methods.
Buoyed by this momentum, the brand is currently engaged in advanced negotiations for additional prime retail locations in Beijing and Shenzhen, with target opening windows set for either the end of the year or the first quarter of 2027.
"For us, it’s not just about opening a store or entering a new market. It’s about finding the right location, with the right target customer and the right size," Baglietto emphasized.
This disciplined retail strategy positions Borsalino comfortably within a particularly resilient sweet spot in the currently challenged global luxury market. An artisanal accessory that requires upward of 50 hours of meticulous handcrafting naturally checks all the traditional boxes of high-end luxury, yet its price point remains remarkably accessible when compared to ready-to-wear garments or leather goods. Combined with the broader fashion industry’s notable return to polished dressing and tailored elegance, this dynamic has created a winning formula for the historic house.
"Accessories are much easier to buy right now than a suit or something more ready-to-wear," Baglietto noted. "And in a lot of fashion shows there are hats, so this is a trend for style and attitude. So the customer right now is looking more for quality and value for money — and [put together, this is] all a very good position."
As part of its broader evolution into a comprehensive lifestyle brand, Borsalino is also making strategic pushes into new product categories. These include a dedicated line of fragrances—comprising both men’s and women’s scents launched approximately a year ago—and a growing collection of handbags, which are currently entering their first full commercial season. A curated selection of five distinct handbag models is currently on display at the new Paris boutique.
Looking ahead, sunglasses and footwear are slated to become permanent components of the growing proprietary retail assortment, working together to paint a more complete picture of the lifestyle brand. Even with these brand extensions, however, hats are expected to remain the dominant force behind the business, continuing to account for roughly 90 percent of total sales, according to Baglietto.
As for the United States, expansion remains an integral part of the brand’s longer-term roadmap. Recent high-profile pop-up activations in Miami and Los Angeles proved to be resounding commercial hits, proving that pent-up consumer demand for the brand is robust. While New York City remains firmly on the company’s radar, alongside affluent destinations like the Hamptons and Costa Mesa, California, Baglietto indicated that Borsalino does not anticipate beginning the search for permanent retail doors in the U.S. until 2028.
