Enrico Coveri

Enrico Coveri, a world covered of sequins Tuscany: the cradle of the Italian language has also become the cradle of Italian fashion, thanks to the great work of Enrico Coveri. Born in 1952 in Prato, Enrico Coveri was introduced to the world of fashion by his mother: a sewing machines seller who also thought her customers to use them. Enrico was a young and beautiful man, and his debut on the catwalk was not as a designer as expected, but as model.

After having chosen to study scenography at the academy of arts, he decided to pursue his first passion and began to work on his own creation. In 1973 the Touche by Enrico Coveri collection appears on the runway, launching the name of Coveri on a global scale. From then on, Coveri has become a synonym for elegance, trend, and made-in-Italy.

The elegance of the lines and shapes, the brightness of the colors, the attention given to the details and the particularity of the materials and fabrics made Enrico Coveri’s style immediately clear. In 1977 his debut with the first woman collection in Paris gains Coveri an extraordinary long burst of applause. A due tribute for a young, exuberant and joyful talent like him.

After less the ten years of activity, the Enrico Coveri fashion house could already count on man and woman collections, as well as children and accessories’ lines. In 1982 Coveri also launched his cosmetics collection, with the perfume Paillettes, inspired by one of his favorite items of trimming that he used very often to embellish his own creations, together with sequins, which he was famous for. The gentle and exotic feminine eau-de-toilette was soon followed by Enrico Coveri Pour Homme, completing the line.

Always fascinated and inspired by arts, Coveri transferred in his creations a hint of his favorite painters’ style: from Matisse to Chagall or Mirò. His garments were for Coveri as canvas for these painters. Brushstrokes of color, extreme care for the details, perfection achieved through the different materials is what dominate in the Coveri style. In 1984 Enrico expressed all his creative flair in a masked ball at Palazzo Moretti, in Venice. Sumptuous, extravagant, luxurious and extremely innovative, but still surrounded by the Venetian tradition, it marked the history not only of fashion but also of the Italian city.

His non-stop work allowed him in 1985 to launch the You Young Coveri brand: studied for youngs, it includes shoes, bags and accessories of all kinds, from wallets to watches and fragrances. A fresh and trendy line, friendly and stylish at the same time, is what characterizes this brand, and what has brought it to its actual success, being now of one the most recognized symbols of the made-in-Italy.

Enrico Coveri died in 1990, at the young age of 38. His premature death was due to a lung cancer, or an heart attack, there are different versions on this. But what we know for sure is that he left a big emperor and a great inheritance behind him, along with the responsibilities this entails.

The Coveri group guidance was first assumed by his sister, Silvana, who had always worked alongside him in the role of Managing Director. She was soon followed by her son Francesco Martini Coveri. The most talented nephew of Enrico made his debut on the catwalk in 1996 as Creative Director of You Young Coveri. He made it clear from that very moment that he could rise to the occasion.

The 22 years old stylist showed immediately his strengths. His sparkling and playful spirit, mixed with his young and a little bit naive point of view, resulted in a fresh and innovative line, still sticking to the uncle’s style characteristics but enriched with new elements that changed it as much as necessary.

Francesco Martini Coveri is a versatile figure, having many interests and passions, from music to photography and cinema: he writes the soundtracks for his own shows, he’s the author of many Coveri’s advertisement campaigns and he acted in the movie “Caso mai” for the Italian director Alessandro D’Alatri.

Under the direction of Francesco Martini Coveri and his mother Silvana, the Coveri group has reached every part of the globe having opened shops and boutiques all over the world. Apart from the woman, man and young collection, the brand groups together kids’ lines, accessories, jewelry, home accessories and much more.

The work of Enrico Coveri was acknowledged by Italian and international authorities. In 1987 he was awarded with the Grande Mèdaille de Vermail in Paris, making him an honorary citizen of the city. The following year, he was named Commendatore della Repubblica by the Italian President, becoming the youngest person to receive this accolade. He never forgot his native town, Prato, neither Prato forgot him. In 2004 the city name a square after him, the Piazzale Enrico Coveri. No doubt that Enrico Coveri was an artist of fashion that left the mark on the Italian industry history.

ENRICO COVERI

SHOWROOM