“More than launching a brand, I aspired to create a lifestyle,” says Eleventy Co-Founder and Creative Director Marco Baldassari, “one that embodies the ‘made in Italy’ spirit of thoughtful design and timelessness.”

The journey for the Milanese mainstay began in 2007, when Baldassari crystallized a new approach to sartorial refinement—one the industry-vetted entrepreneur termed “smart luxury”—rooted in simplicity, authenticity, and a mindful approach to materials and production. Rather than chasing trends, Eleventy would offer pieces that balanced elegance with purpose, favoring enduring quality over excess and dilution.

“It all started in a living room,” Baldassari recalls. “No office, no resources—just me, my passion, and an unwavering sense of purpose.” Nearly two decades later, the brand’s ranks have swelled to a team of 200, with pristine storefronts everywhere from Dubai to New York and Rome.

The keys to that expansion? There’s the sleek, close cut of the brand’s tailoring, for one thing—a signal of its intentionally contemporary take on legacy craftsmanship that feels distinctly Milanese. “Eleventy’s philosophy is … rooted in quality and excellence,” Baldassari explains. “I believed the modern wardrobe could be both elevated and effortless, combining the structure of formalwear with the ease of casual silhouettes.”

The brand name itself hints at that spirit of thoughtful, elevated evolution. “‘Eleventy’ isn’t a word—it’s a mindset,” Baldassari muses. “It’s about striving to become the best version of yourself. Refinement not just in appearance, but in life.”

To say that the Milan-born label has found its niche in an increasingly saturated market would be an understatement. The brand’s approach is decidedly hands-on, transcending the constraints of the retail and e-commerce landscape to build multidimensional relationships with an ever-growing roster of dedicated clientele hungry for that unique blend of understated poise characteristic of Milan’s sartorial traditions. (Those client relationships have helped to shape the brand’s decisions around careful and intentional growth—this year, Eleventy opened new spaces in Toronto and Orange County’s South Coast Plaza.)

The brand’s devoted buyers know what they’re getting: tailoring that never feels stiff, and comfort that feels cultivated, considered, and deeply personal. “When you wear the clothes, you feel good,” says Baldassari. “Not just because of how they look, but because of how they make you feel. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin and empowered in the life you lead.”

That credo takes the form of handmade, compulsively wearable pieces that emphasize the quality of their materials, from the drape of a linen trouser to an elegant ripple of silk. This standard is maintained by a network of 94 family-run partner operations across Italy, with an all-hands-on-deck mentality for safeguarding local craftsmanship. “[That’s] our soul—it is woven into every detail of our designs,” Baldassari says of this meticulous production process. (Picking a palette at Eleventy, he notes, is a years-long process and “never accidental.”)

For the co-founder, this exacting precision isn’t just a design philosophy, it’s a business imperative. In an era of endless drops and disposable trends, the brand’s success lies in its rejection of quick growth in favor of deep roots. “In a world that often feels fast and transactional, Eleventy offers something more enduring,” Baldassari says. “It’s a warm, authentic experience grounded in respect, friendship, and sincere hospitality.”

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