Published
July 7, 2026
Italian textile group Albini has reached an important milestone: 150 years in business. The anniversary has been marked since the start of the year by the ‘150 Years of Wonder’ project, which opened with the creation of ‘Legacy Red’- the colour chosen for the anniversary and developed in collaboration with the Pantone Color Institute to reflect the passion and dedication of the people who have carried the company forward- followed by ‘The Legacy Series,’ a capsule collection showcased at the 43rd edition of the Milano Unica trade fair, where some of the brand’s iconic fabrics were reinterpreted in Legacy Red, and continued with the launch of the Albini Campus training platform and a series of dedicated events.
Albini, ‘The Legacy Series’
The seven fabrics are ‘Amalfi,’ created in 1978, which introduced a new interpretation of poplin, bringing to the collections a design language of colourful stripes and checks that remains a distinctive signature of the Albini 1876 style; ‘Ranch,’ introduced in 1992, which redefined the concept of flannel through the use of twisted yarns and colour research that expanded its expressive possibilities; ‘Sahara,’ also from 1992, the fabric that marked Albini 1876’s entry into the world of pure linen; ‘Duke,’ from 1993, still considered an international benchmark for classic shirting, woven in two-ply yarns and embodying a vision of timeless elegance; ‘Piumino,’ introduced in 2008, an extraordinarily lightweight and compact fabric capable of enhancing colour brilliance and pattern precision; and ‘Après-Ski,’ from 2020, which reinterprets traditional flannel by bringing together cotton and Tencel Lyocell. Completing the line is ‘Centocinquanta,’ a fabric created specifically to celebrate the anniversary, which uses ultra-fine 150/1 yarns and a density of 150 threads per centimetre, resulting in a compact, ultra-lightweight fabric that is silky to the touch and extraordinarily refined.
Albini: The History
By controlling the entire production chain- from fibre to finished fabric- and consistently leveraging its established leadership in shirting fabrics, the Albini Group has evolved from a traditional family-owned business founded in 1876 into an industrial entity of international scale. “The family has always been at the heart of Albini, as has the safeguarding of a legacy of expertise, manufacturing culture, and values developed over a century and a half of uninterrupted activity- achieved through a governance model based on a long-term vision, a deep commitment to our roots, and responsibility towards the local community,” said Chairman Stefano Albini, who joined the company in 1993, speaking to FashionNetwork.com.
“We’ve weathered wars, crises- such as the economic crisis of 1929- and drastic market shifts… (even a kidnapping: that of Piero Albini, one of the four brothers who took over management of the company after the Second World War, which ended happily after months of captivity, ed.). There are so many stories to tell- our parents passed them down to us- but they fade with time because, like most entrepreneurial families in Bergamo, the Albinis have always been very private, far from the excesses and clamour of public life.”
“Although I must say it was the impetus provided by my generation- especially by my late older brother Silvio (active in Confindustria’s governing bodies and one of those who contributed most to the process that led to the creation of the Milano Unica trade fair, named Cavaliere del Lavoro by president Mattarella in 2015 and who passed away suddenly in 2018, ed.)- that drove a major evolution of the business, marking the beginning of a profound process of internationalisation, the strengthening of vertical integration, and expansion into global markets,” the president continues. “Just consider that in 1982 Cotonificio Albini had a turnover equivalent to 10 million euros today; now, the Albini Group has a consolidated turnover of over 150 million. It’s true that many years have passed, but the growth has been very significant- in terms of product and the industrial facilities we’ve acquired, but above all in sales.”
The Albini family’s history in textiles began in 1876, when Zaffiro Borgomanero, an industrialist originally from Gallarate, founded a modern weaving mill in Desenzano al Serio, in the Seriana Valley, launching an operation equipped with 40 looms and 44 workers. As early as the late 19th century, the Seriana Valley was a rapidly growing textile district thanks to an abundance of water- necessary for power and dyeing processes- a large and skilled workforce, and proximity to major cotton and wool mills in Lombardy.
In 1891, Giovanni Albini, an engineer born in 1843 in the Alto Milanese region, joined the company. In 1907, he took control, significantly accelerating industrial development by introducing state-of-the-art machinery- such as British Platt spinning frames- and building hydroelectric power plants in Casnigo, Vertova, and Gromo, pioneering the use of electricity in industry, expanding exports to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean basin, and serving as president of the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce (1893–1900) and as a promoter of technical and vocational schools.
Upon Giovanni’s death in 1919, the company passed to his son Silvio Albini, who led the weaving mill- renamed Dott. Silvio Albini & C.- and reinforced its focus on high-quality shirting fabrics made from Egyptian Mako cotton yarns. During the Second World War, the company shifted part of its production to domestically sourced materials and fabrics for the military, coping with cotton shortages and challenging operating conditions. After the war, Silvio’s sons- Giancarlo, Marino, Piero, and Gianni- joined the company.
The 1950s and 1960s were marked by loom renewal, thanks to Marshall Plan funds, and the construction of a new, modern weaving hall. From the 1980s onwards, the fifth generation- already mentioned- joined the business: Silvio (sales and marketing), Fabio (product development), Andrea (engineering and production), and Stefano (finance and management control), bringing innovation, internationalisation, and growth.
In fact, in addition to Thomas Mason, David & John Anderson and Ashton Shirtings were acquired in 1992- brands that brought with them a rich heritage of style, an archive containing over 700 volumes of fabric samples, and a strong international presence. Next came the acquisition of the Brebbia finishing plant in 1996, followed by the integration of Manifattura di Albiate, specialised in denim and sports fabrics in 2000, the construction of the Mottola plant in 2004, and the acquisition of the Dietfurt S.r.o. weaving mill in the Czech Republic in 2006.
Albini responded to the 2008 global financial crisis with streamlining and targeted investments, including the creation of the Gandino Logistics Hub in 2009, the opening of two plants in Egypt dedicated to weaving and dyeing from 2008 to 2009, the launch of the project for the direct cultivation of Egyptian cotton, the founding of I Cotoni di Albini in 2012- now Albini Yarns- thereby completing vertical integration from fibre to finished fabric; the opening of sales offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York from 2010 to 2014; the launch of Albini Energia, dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in 2011; the creation of Albini Next, the innovation hub dedicated to experimenting with new materials, production processes, and sustainable solutions in 2019; and the acquisition of the Hungarian spinning mill Albini Yarns Hungary Kft in 2022.
Albini: the numbers
Today, Italy accounts for 20% of the Albini Group’s turnover, while 80% is generated in the rest of the world, with the EMEA region representing over 60% of that figure. The company operates at the top end of the market and, as such, luxury accounts for the largest share of its business in both Italy and France. The Americas are also very important, with the United States accounting for around 18%, followed by East Asia, whose share has declined following a sharp drop in China but which Albini continues to serve effectively through its sales office in Hong Kong.
“In China, the top-down push- in fashion as in the automotive industry- to buy local products to stimulate the domestic economy has led to a decline in business for European companies, yet we continue to have loyal customers who place substantial orders, particularly for Bespoke, and who prioritise our fabrics for their quality and Made in Italy credentials,” says Stefano Albini.
“Customers who want a shirt made with our fabrics have it shipped directly from our Hong Kong office. Lately, I’ve seen Chinese brands emerge with extremely beautiful stores; they’ve learned from our school and our know-how how to create products that have meaning and value. In short, they’re catching up with our quality rather quickly…”
Every year, the group based in Albino (BG) produces approximately 110 million bales of cotton. Only 1.8% of these fall into the Extra-Long Staple (ELS) category- the extremely rare extra-long-staple cottons from which the finest fabrics are made. Albini directly selects the best varieties at their places of origin, building lasting relationships with farmers and closely monitoring each harvest. From the famous Egyptian Giza 45 and 87 to Sea Island cotton from the Caribbean islands, and American Supima, the most prized varieties are chosen according to rigorous quality and sustainability criteria.
Albini: the campus
Furthermore, through ongoing collaborations with some of the most prestigious Italian and international academic institutions- from the University of Bergamo to IED, from the Istituto Secoli to the Accademia Costume & Moda, and including Bocconi, FIT in New York, IFM in Paris, and the Master in Noble Fibres in Biella- Albini makes its wealth of expertise available to the next generation, opening the doors of its facilities and supporting educational activities, internships, research projects, and professional development programmes.
It is from this vision that Albini Campus comes to life- the new platform dedicated to education, the sharing of expertise, and the promotion of textile culture that the company is launching in its 150th year of activity. A space open to dialogue between business, schools, and universities, created to impart knowledge, spark curiosity, and create new opportunities for growth.
Albini’s first 150 years will be celebrated with two events: a gathering at the Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan with institutional clients, stakeholders, banks, and the press; and an event in October in Franciacorta with all company employees, including those from overseas offices, “dedicated to the people who ‘support’ us every day, because there’s little we can do without the skill and intelligence of our people, who today number 1,071 across the group,” the president proudly notes.
Albini: the present and the future
The Albini Group’s active clients number around 1,200 across 85 countries, though the total is higher. “There’s also the usual overlap with our roughly 600 bespoke clients, including brands, tailors, and stores that have developed Bespoke, facilitated by a recently revamped app within an extremely efficient digital system that ships within 1-2 days and continues to grow steadily,” emphasises Stefano Albini.
Another key moment in Albini’s history was the founding, in 2019, of Albini Next, the laboratory dedicated to sustainable innovation located within the Kilometro Rosso science and technology park in Bergamo. “Albini Next is not a spin-off, like I Cotoni di Albini or Albini Energia, for which separate divisions and companies were created. Albini Next does not generate revenue; it was created as a research think tank focused on innovation that runs parallel to the work we do every day on our products: new yarns, exclusive designs, creativity. Albini Next collaborates with universities, external research centres, and other companies on sustainability related to recycling and product traceability. It also handles the interfaces relating to European Union legislation, the sustainability report, and projects to manage forthcoming new regulations that will limit processing waste. Albini Next therefore addresses all the environmental issues that arise externally and must be implemented internally.”
The early part of 2026 has been “more than positive” economically, according to Stefano Albini, with a single-digit percentage increase in group-wide turnover, accompanied by a commensurate increase in margins. “We’ll see a slight slowdown during these two pre-summer months and then- considering the orders we have in the pipeline- we expect to achieve a turnover increase in the region of 3-4% in 2026, despite major global, geopolitical, and inflationary challenges and customers’ general reluctance to spend. Both fabrics and yarns are performing well. We operate in more than 85 countries and export 80% of our production,” he says.
In terms of company turnover, the flagship brand, Albini 1876, continues to generate more than half of the total, while Thomas Mason- the most international brand, with more colourful, distinctly British designs and a higher average price for its ultra-fine-count fabrics- ranks second, and Albiate 1830, the sports label targeting younger consumers with a lower average price, ranks third.
In recent times, the company has significantly professionalised its management. “A young management team,” the president emphasises. “We have executives as young as 28, up to 45. Even the CEO, Pierluigi Fusco Girard, who joined a year and a half ago bringing energy, drive, and organisational innovation, is only 42 years old.”
For Stefano Albini, the future of his company lies in innovation, including digitisation and the modernisation of production facilities; in sustainability, thanks to the ever more transparent and integrated supply chain the Bergamo-based company has built over the years; and in people- by investing in human capital and continuous training.
Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
