The company Fratelli Reali was founded in the early 1900s by brothers Guido and Giulio Reali. Initially, the business of F.lli Reali involved the trade of women’s hats, which were sold to milliners across Italy. In 1923, Mr. Raul Reali joined the company and transformed it into a joint-stock company.
The business soon underwent significant changes. Mr. Raul was much more interested in importing raw materials from distant countries in the Far East than in trading finished products. At the time, there were very few importers, all of Swiss origin, but in a few years, they were surpassed by Mr. Raul’s creativity, dynamism, and entrepreneurial spirit. He began importing straw braids from China, straw hats from the Philippines and Indonesia, and Panama hats from Ecuador.
Later, inspired by Swiss factories producing artificial straw fabrics, Raul Reali had the insight to start manufacturing straw fabrics, not only for hats but especially for bags. This was a great success, leading to the production of thousands of meters of straw fabric daily. Meanwhile, Mr. Raul was joined by his brother Alfredo, who handled the sales of raw materials for hats to wholesalers throughout Italy.
Then came the 1960s and 1970s, a period during which the hat industry went into a deep crisis. Fortunately, the growing demand for bags allowed the company to survive this difficult time. In the meantime, Raul’s sons, Marco and Massimo, joined the company, representing the third generation of the Reali family.
Today, Fratelli Reali & C. S.p.A. can proudly claim to be the leading company in Europe for the trade and production of raw materials for hats, bags, shoes, and some sectors of interior design. It is now led by Massimo Reali and his son Niccolò, who, with great passion and dedication, rightfully embody the fourth generation of the Reali family.
