HENDERSON Fashion Group is successfully operating in Armenia since October 2022, offering men a full wardrobe of elegant and comfortable clothing for all occasions. The secret of HENDERSON’s high-quality products is a successful long-term partnership with the finest Italian fabric producers.

One of such partners is REDA Group. Established back in 1865, thanks to the combination of tradition and innovation, this company is still a leading manufacturer of wool fabrics not only in its homeland Italy, but also around the world.

Recently, a team from REDA Group led by Guglielmo Botto Poala, fourth generation co-owner of the company, arrived in Armenia. The goal of the visit was to meet HENDERSON’s team and present to the employees the subtleties and unique properties of REDA fabrics that are used in HENDERSON’s new collection.

As part of the visit the Italian guests also met with HENDERSON’s friends, partners and VIP clients at the reception organized in the honor of their arrival.

Banks.am spoke with the co-owner of REDA Group Guglielmo Botto Poala about the long partnership with HENDERSON, the values they share together, and the priority of high quality.

People and passion

REDA, based in the Italian province of Biella, is a family company with a history of about 160 years. The partnership with HENDERSON started in 2004 and was successfully developed in the past years.

“I do not consider HENDERSON as a customer, because they have the same values as REDA has. There are few people like Ruben Harutyunyan that are following our philosophy. He and his team do not look at the collections just for buying them, but they understand the story behind them,” says Guglielmo.

As he explains, one of the most precious values for them is the people behind all the REDA collections. “500 people that work in our company are not just employees for us, but our big family. It is like a boat in the wide ocean where may be storms, but when all these people do their jobs like one, the boat continues its straight navigation. I can also see the same approach in how Ruben takes care of his employees,” he adds.

Another thing that is important both for HENDERSON and REDA is the passion for what you are doing. “When you have a passion for something, that means you truly believe in it,” thinks Guglielmo.

The journey from the selection of raw materials to reaching customers

“If you want to make good pasta you need to have excellent spaghetti and excellent tomato. It is the exact same thing in the case of fabrics. The material is very important for us, so we choose pure Merino wool that comes from New Zealand which is the most beautiful wool in the world,” says Guglielmo.

Reda’s woolen mill directly manages and controls the entire production chain, starting from the careful selection of raw materials up to the weaving and finishing phase, made in the modern production headquarters located amongst the picturesque hills of Valle Mosso in the province of Biella Italy.

“Another important ingredient in the production is the unique water in Biella. This is truly different from the water of other countries or even other regions in Italy. If you take the same wool, the same people, the same machines, and then you go 100 kilometers out of Biella for the water, the result will not be the same,” clarifies shareholder of REDA Group.

REDA is also very strict with its products to achieve absolute quality. As Guglielmo states, the quality of compliance is checked 4 times for each piece of fabric, and in case they are not satisfied with it, the product does not appear in the market.

Never sitting still

The partnership between HENDERSON and REDA is widely processed in the cases of both ready-made products and made-to-measure products. According to Guglielmo Botto Poala, the companies will continue to widen their cooperation also in the direction of women’s clothes.

“It is easy to cooperate with HENDERSON, because Ruben Harutyunyan always supports our decisions and follows the directions we have chosen. We appreciate that a lot,” says Guglielmo.

The production of REDA is divided into three different lines. REDA 1865 is characterized by high-quality classic fabrics designed to meet the specific needs of tailoring cuts. REDA Active is a line designed for leisurewear. REDA Flexo is the new smart stretch fabric that combines innovation with the respect for the environment.

“So our company is not sitting still, we are always looking for new opportunities,” adds Guglielmo.

REDA Group is also sensitive to sustainability and environmental issues. The company puts all its efforts to become greener by also developing circular ways of production. This goes along with the use of technological innovations.

“Sometimes you can visit some departments of REDA and not see any people, because of the automation of the processes,” claims Guglielmo Botto Poala.

In 2022 the company got B Corp certification that states REDA Group business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency. “We are the first Italian textile company and one of the few in the world to achieve this certificate,” adds member of the owner’s family of REDA Group.

Eagles vs Angels in sales

REDA was happy with HENDERSON’s entry into the Armenian market last year. For the company reaching new markets is always a promising opportunity.

“I am glad to be here in Yerevan for the first time. I really hope that people will believe in HENDERSON and in REDA. In my opinion, it would also be nice to have more shops of HENDERSON here in Armenia and I hope to see them more on my next visit,” adds Guglielmo Botto Poala.

During their visit to Armenia, the specialists of REDA held a master class with the employees of HENDERSON to present them all the information about REDA’s collections and help them understand the value of the product.

“There are two types of sellers - eagles and angels. Eagles are the ones that want to sell everything because they are getting commissions, but they do not care about the needs of the customer. If a customer enters the shop and has some doubts about what he is going to buy, he becomes scared after meeting the eagle-seller and does not buy anything in the end. We are here to help HENDERSON’s workers to become angels. What does it mean? An angel is a type of a seller that asks the costumer if he needs anything and tells he is there to help. But this angel also knows everything about the products and is well-prepared to all the questions that might arise. When a customer sees this kind of seller he becomes curious and may also ask for advice and in the end, he will make a purchase and leave the shop in a happy mood for 100%. After, he will tell his family and friends about the product he bought and new things he learned about fabric, production, and quality. So this is the secret to getting more sales by making an additional value through high-quality service,” concludes Guglielmo Botto Poala.

Gayane Yenokyan

Photos by Emin Aristakesyan