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Replay Online - Jeans from the cathedral, the Replay success story

Replay is to fashion what MINI is to cars: a brand that unites tradition and innovation in perfect style. The jeans label, founded in 1981 by Claudio Buziol, hails from Asolo, a small provincial town northwest of Venice. The Replay complex itself - known as "the cathedral" - has a dynamically styled redbrick façade that could act as the backdrop to a Dick Tracy film. From the wall-to-wall drawers behind the reception counter to the solid desks and leather armchairs in every office, retro is the look that pervades the place. Claudio Buziol, who died aged 50, was very fond of traditional American business clothing and designed Replay in this mould, including the look of his outlets. Replay experimented with denim for a long time before discovering the Japanese ring-spun version. Now commonplace in the trade, it was a seismic innovation at the time. "Today jeans are still at the heart of what Replay is all about," says designer Gigi Vezzola, "even if we have long been producing much more besides." For him the key factors are "simplicity, family and established values. We combine a sensual look with a traditional lifestyle." Replay has been working with MINI since 2009, for example creating a limited-edition capsule collection to mark the 50th anniversary of MINI last year. "Replay and MINI are closely related in spirit as far as values, approach and vision are concerned," says Replay's CEO Matteo Sinigaglia. "Both brands combine tradition with emotion." And the Replay success story seems to set to continue - next year the brand will be celebrating its 30th birthday under the motto "The most exciting is still to come". Read the full article by Angelo Flaccavento on the Replay success story in THE MINI INTERNATIONAL