Berné 1921: relaunch under way with new logo, resortwear debut, and expansion into the US and Greece

The women’s beachwear and corsetry house Berné 1921 marks its 105th anniversary. Under its new owner, Alessandro Di Marco, the brand has been revived over the past two seasons, drawing on steadfast Made in Italy craftsmanship, its hallmark breadth of sizes and cup fittings, and the label’s storied heritage.

“I come from a background in fashion,” Alessandro Di Marco, who we met at the latest edition of the Maredamare trade fair in Florence, tells FashionNetwork.com. “After an international career as a dancer in prestigious theatres in Italy and abroad, I took over a small tailoring workshop with four staff members which, within seven to eight years, grew into Alessandro Di Marco S.r.l. Today it employs 63 people and, as a contract manufacturer, produces clothing for some of the world’s most renowned fashion brands. My company is based in Montevarchi, in the province of Arezzo, in the same building that now also houses Berné 1921’s headquarters.”
 
In 2025, Di Marco acquired the five-year manufacturing and distribution licence for Berné 1921, with a subsequent acquisition planned. “I put the collection together in a month, because I took over the brand on June 25 and, in July, I came to Maredamare to present a first glimpse of the brand in a Spring–Summer 2026 collection, which is the one currently in shops,” continues the entrepreneur, born in 1989. “This year, however, marks the official relaunch. For Spring–Summer 2027, we’re unveiling a redesigned and modernised logo. The packaging, website, and communications are also new.”

Mr Berné was an engineer who, in the early 20th century, began producing corsets, girdles and shapewear. Thanks to his engineering expertise, he was able to design structures that supported the female form, particularly fuller figures.

“Shortly afterwards, Berné ventured into the production of swimwear (the habit of sunbathing at the seaside had only just emerged, editor’s note), and we believe that his company- based on what we’ve found in the archives- was one of the very first in the world to do so,” says Di Marco. “Engineer Berné was a bit of a maverick, and ahead of his time. He even organised photo shoots in which he dressed men in women’s clothes and vice versa. During a fashion week, he created some sandals (which we’d now like to recreate) with the word ‘Berné’ written on the sole. He had them dipped in paint so that the models sent out around the city would leave footprints on the ground, promoting the brand. Well ahead of its time.”

The company was founded in Udine, then moved to Milan, but certain historical details from its early decades are still to be pieced together. “We’ve unearthed a document that would date the brand’s founding to 1912, so we’ve requested verification from the chambers of commerce in both cities,” points out Alessandro Di Marco, who, for these reasons, has submitted an application for Berné 1921 to be recognised as a Historic Brand, and is considering organising an exhibition on the history of this label, given the wealth of archive pieces discovered that bear witness to a story of craftsmanship and fashion. “In recent years, Berné 1921 has been owned by Adriano Margiacchi’s Mabell, based in Terranuova Bracciolini (AR). Margiacchi is another visionary entrepreneur. He has always believed in Italianness, which is precisely our aim and style.”
 
With production that is almost entirely Italian- practically zero‑kilometre- except for a few accessories, such as hooks, which are made abroad, Berné 1921 has presented a Spring–Summer 2027 collection comprising roughly 180 swimwear styles, plus around 80 clothing items, after Alessandro Di Marco S.r.l. decided to capitalise on its expertise in apparel by expanding the label’s product range to include cover-ups, women’s leisurewear and resortwear.
 
Berné has nonetheless retained its expertise in high-performance swimwear, designed also for those requiring support for a fuller bust, offering cup sizes from B to H and sizes from 38 to 68. “The excellent fit of Berné 1921 products is constantly recognised, but from this season we are taking a significant step forward in terms of sizing, covering, for the first time, from curvy to slim,” notes Di Marco. “And we will maintain Berné’s expertise in corsetry, a field in which we have various plans for the future.”

Stocked in around 160 shops across Italy, Berné 1921 is also distributed in Malta and Austria. Its launch in the US and Greece will take place in Spring–Summer 2027. According to Alessandro Di Marco- whose contract manufacturing company, meanwhile, closed 2025 with turnover of around €5.5 million- he is also considering opening pop-up stores in the near future, or staging takeovers of venues or beach clubs in prestigious seaside summer resorts, to further boost the brand’s relaunch.