This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Traditional garments play a fundamental role in defining the cultural identity of a region. Loden, boiled wood and tweed certainly do it for the Dolomites: these beautiful range of mountains can instinctively be associated to moss green coats, thick knitwear and heavyweight fabrics.
Meaningful and respected, these garments are however often old-fashioned, and not entirely fit for the everyday modern life. For this reason, South-Tyrolean brand Alpe Piano set out on the delicate mission of reimagining the local tradition, crafting contemporary garments using timeless fabrics.
In this Brand Talks interview, Christoph Steiner, Co-Founder of the brand, explains how difficult it is to balance tradition and innovation, and walks us through the compelling story of this young brand.
Could you share your personal background and what led you to founding Alpe Piano?
My path has always been connected to the world of clothing, although I didn’t have a family business to carry on, so I had to build my journey step by step, starting from scratch.
After finishing school, I started working in a local retailer, first managing small corners and eventually handling the buying department. Then, I changed jobs and moved into the world of agencies and distribution, while still remaining within the fashion industry.
Before turning 30, I felt the desire to create something of my own. I started with some runs of sweaters, managing sales directly and partnering with manufacturing companies. That’s how Glücklich, my first brand, was born: with a sweater in two colors. From that initial piece, the collection gradually expanded to include new products and variations.
From the start, the focus was always on an alpine style with an urban, contemporary touch. The goal was to reinterpret tradition in a modern way, offering a product that could be worn by a 30-year-old without feeling outdated.
Alpe Piano started out as a branch of Glücklich: how did it evolve into an independent brand?
Today, the market is constantly evolving. Every year, we need to think of strategies, adapt to new customers, and face the challenges of certain markets. With Glücklich, we reached a turning point where it had grown but remained niche: successful, but without the strength of a global brand. Additionally, the collection had become quite extensive and diverse, and we realized this approach was no longer sustainable.
So, we began evaluating which products could perform better in a broader market. Materials like loden and boiled wool are known and appreciated even internationally, and we realized that to fully express their potential, we needed a new, more focused and specialized project.
Alpe Piano was born three years ago with this idea: a global-oriented brand, yet still rooted in alpine tradition. We decided to focus on an essential collection, without adapting to the classic fashion calendar with two seasons a year. Our pieces are designed to be worn throughout the cold season, from late summer to spring, without a strict distinction between fall-winter and spring-summer.
How did you choose the name Alpe Piano?
We wanted a name that could convey a clear message. “Alpe” immediately conjures our alpine roots, the origin of the materials, the region where the brand was born, and the philosophy of the people behind it. “Piano” [slow in Italian], on the other hand, represents a slower, more mindful approach, in contrast to the fast-paced world we live in.
We feel these two words perfectly capture the essence of the brand. We spent a long time searching for the right name: reaching a clear and powerful synthesis was challenging, but also fascinating and stimulating.
I believe that with Alpe Piano we’ve managed to build a strong, coherent identity – one that helps us carve a spot in the market.
The brand is deeply rooted in the Dolomites. What do these mountains mean to you, and how do they inform the evolution of the collection?
The Dolomites are an integral part of our daily lives: this deep connection is reflected in the brand and our products. Our bond with the region is expressed mainly through the materials we use and the heritage we share, elements that originate from an experience lived authentically.
Today, many things are created with great skill but without a real connection to the story they want to tell. Behind many projects, there’s more marketing than substance. In contrast, we believe our strength lies in our authenticity: we haven’t built a story, we live it every day.
Now more than ever, people are looking for products and brands with a genuine identity, and this applies to many fields: fashion, food, travel. After years of being overwhelmed by an enormous and often superficial market, there’s a growing need for authentic and meaningful messages. That’s exactly what we want to represent with Alpe Piano.
What are the core values of Alpe Piano, and how do they influence your decisions?
For us, it’s crucial to create a product that lasts over time; something that doesn’t follow fleeting trends, but can be worn for years without losing its value and appeal. We’re not trying to overturn traditions, but to evolve them naturally, finding a language that speaks both to those who appreciate classic alpine style and to a new generation seeking more contemporary clothing rooted in tradition..
What have been your most relevant choices in terms of sustainability?
Without a doubt, our commitment to creating long-lasting garments is a strong statement. Additionally, we are very selective when it comes to our suppliers – from materials to production. The entire process takes place within a 500-kilometer radius of our headquarters, allowing us to minimize the environmental impact of logistics while also maintaining a close eye over quality.
The focused and aware approach we’ve adopted with Alpe Piano has been very well received by both customers and the market.
How do you blend the concept of “heritage” with a modern and functional aesthetic?
Today, everybody talks about heritage, not just in fashion but across many areas. The risk is to perceive it as something purely nostalgic, fit for a museum and nothing more. Our goal, instead, is to make traditional materials and garments feel relevant today, without looking outdated or unwearable.
Take the loden coat, for example: it’s an iconic garment, but it risks to be something admired yet never worn. We work to update its fit and details, maintaining a clean and simple design without overloading it. That’s our goal: to create essential, authentic pieces that strike the right balance between tradition and innovation.
We believe that true modernity lies in a product’s longevity. We aim to create garments that can be worn for years without losing their aesthetic and functional value. We don’t chase trends—we build a clear, recognizable identity that speaks both to those who appreciate alpine tradition and to a generation seeking a contemporary product with authentic roots.
Loden, tweed and boiled wood are materials with a long standing tradition, but Alpe Piano uses them for contemporary outerwear. How do you communicate this distinctive feature?
The best way to communicate the value of materials with a strong tradition is to highlight the emotional connection many people have with these fabrics. A perfect example of this is our experience at Pitti, where we had the chance to observe the reactions of buyers and visitors as they engaged with our pieces.
It’s fascinating to see how certain materials evoke personal memories, linked to parents or grandparents: an old family coat, an image deeply rooted in their past… This connection to history creates an immediate bond, but our role is to bring it into the present, making it relevant again through clean, contemporary design.
When a customer stops to look at one of our pieces, we often see them embark on a kind of mental journey. They start with the familiarity of the fabric, and then discover the innovative details, the updated fits, and the way the product has been reimagined. This balance between heritage and modernity is exactly where our identity lies.
What would you say are your most popular or appreciated products, and why?
When we design our garments, we try to create versatile pieces that aren’t limited to a single context. We don’t want to offer garments meant only for the city or exclusively for the alpine environment. Instead, we want to create a collection that accompanies our customers in their day to day life, from the urban environment to mountain activities and evening events.
Thanks to the properties of the materials we use, our pieces cater to those who move between different environments and need functional clothing with a strong identity. Among our most popular pieces is the Alpine Jacket, inspired by the Tyrolean tradition but with a modern, updated fit, which we craft from different types of boiled wool. It’s highly appreciated for its essential style.
Another iconic piece is our classic loden coat – timeless, elegant, and functional, perfect for facing the cold seasons with style. We also offer a hooded version, conceived for those who seek a more urban, versatile solution perfect for everyday use.
These items are at the core of our collection because they perfectly embody our philosophy: reinterpreting heritage with a modern perspective while maintaining a keen eye on quality and functionality.
How can you communicate Alpe Piano’s “slow” soul in the digital era, when everything is fast-paced?
The key is to convey a clear and authentic message to the consumer. However, for us this doesn’t simply mean crafting a marketing strategy; it means building a solid, consistent brand identity that stays true to our values. The “slow” approach of Alpe Piano is reflected in every aspect of our work, starting from the choice of materials and the mission to eliminate anything unnecessary.
We don’t invest in advertising campaigns, or seek shortcuts for rapid growth, because we believe our path should be natural and gradual. We are confident the collection itself tells this story: every detail, every piece communicates our understanding of time and fashion.
It’s a process that requires patience, but also allows us to create something authentic and lasting. Our journey is slow, but that is exactly what makes it unique and special.
Are there any relevant moments in the history of Alpe Piano that you would like to share with us?
I think one of the best moments was our official debut at Pitti in 2024. For me, Pitti has always been a benchmark: it’s an event where the world’s best brands engage with international buyers and industry professionals. Presenting our collection there for the first time meant hitting a huge milestone, marking a step forward and bringing the brand onto a global stage.
It was also a special moment for me personally because, until then, I had always attended Pitti as an observer, discovering new trends and brands, but never as an exhibitor with my own brand. It wouldn’t have been the right context for Glücklich, but with Alpe Piano, it felt natural and necessary. During those four intense days, we had the opportunity to share our project with high-profile buyers from all over the world: Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, as well as various European markets.
After a year of hard work, standing on a stage like that is a decisive test, and you see if everything you’ve built truly has a value and if the brand’s message is strong and clear. For us, it was a success, both in terms of feedback and the connections we made. The farther a customer is from where you are based, the more fascinating it is to see their interest in what you’ve created. It was a moment of great satisfaction and curiosity, one that gave even more strength to our journey.
What’s an important lesson you’ve learned as the co-founder of Alpe Piano?
The most important lesson I’m learning in managing Alpe Piano is that we live in an incredibly fast-paced world today, and it is crucial to be self-aware and self-reflective. In the past, building a brand and a product was a more linear process: once you found the right approach, you could maintain it almost unchanged at least for a while. Today, after more than thirty years in the apparel industry, I realize that maintaining this balance is much more challenging.
You have to question yourself daily: Is the path you’re taking still the right one? Do the choices you made yesterday still work today, and will they need to change tomorrow? It’s not easy to live with this constant need for adaptation, but I believe it’s essential. You have to be ready to adjust, to shift your perspective, and stay open to new ideas. If you stop, you risk remaining behind. For this reason, having a flexible and dynamic mindset has become crucial for navigating today’s market.
Besides your position at Alpe Piano, do you have any personal passions or hobbies? How do they influence your work in the brand?
I would say my job and my passions are tied together closely. I live among the mountains, which are a constant reference point for me. I’m often there, hiking, cycling or skiing, because the mountains are where I find inspiration.
Every moment I spend in nature is special and precious, an opportunity to unwind and slow down. But these moments also influence my attitude towards work, motivating me in how I face the challenges of every day.
Is there a book or a movie that you feel close to your personal experience, and could present some similarities with the philosophy behind Alpe Piano?
I would say it’s Paolo Cognetti’s “The Eight Mountains”. It’s a publication I feel very dear to me, for several reasons.
