Pietro, our co-founder, originally from Sicily, grew up in Biella near Milan where his early love for fashion evolved. Years later and all grown up, his professional career in tech presented the opportunity to move to London. One evening, during covid, he wished to be back home and missed exploring the off-the-beaten-path bottegas. After plenty wine and food, Italian of course, he spoke passionately about the countless boutiques that have been hit hard by lock-down. Heartbreakingly, the myriad of local traditions and unique shopping opportunities had been deeply affected. This inspired his dream of creating an e-commerce platform dedicated to supporting local designers with accessing the global market. He envisioned Monteleone as a shopping serendipity that would take you on a tour of the phenomenal artisanal legacy of Italy, no matter where you are in the world.

Fast forward to today, our collections uncover one-of-a-kind boutiques and hidden workshops that pride themselves on closely guarded century-old techniques. Piece by piece, each garment is created by hand using the finest materials from Italy.

For many of us, selecting a silk scarf, custom designed hat, or leather bag can be intimidating; how do you know if you’re buying something authentic, made in Italy and created traditionally? How do you gauge how much you should pay and if it’s overpriced? Unfortunately, there is no substitute for a knowledgeable buyer and we’re here to help you put your money where it counts: back into the pockets of authentic artisans. 

Today we are a team of men and women from Italy, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, South Africa and Canada. Our expertise include e-commerce, fashion, marketing and finance. While we can’t offer an immersive travel experience, we can offer you a piece of Italy that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. We’re passionate about ‘made in Italy’ products and we’re here to connect you directly with the artisans that skillfully make each unique piece.

A "Made in Italy" Tradition