ARTIOLI

When exclusive elegance,  comfort and luxury are combined

Beautiful and elegant lifestyle is typical of those people that bear beauty inside themselves, who create and surround themselves with aesthetics and elegance by emphasizing their own uniqueness and distributing the art of living and creating the beauty. Italian Artioli family is one of them. Their beautiful family traditions, aesthetic worldview and talent of feeling the beauty gave birth to the “Artioli” world-famous brand. It’s no coincidence that such world-known people as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Frank Sinatra, Marcello Mastroianni, Robert De Niro, George Clooney, as well as such political dynasties as the Eisenhowers, Kennedies, Onassises were attracted by the “Artioli” shoes and accessories.

Gor Mekhakyan’s family is also mastered in the art of assessing the beauty and elegant life. They make the Italian famous brand’s traditions and aesthetic taste, style, quality and comfort available also for the Armenian society by founding the “Artioli” stores in Armenia.

We tried to uncover the mystery of the “Artioli” world-known brand’s charm and elegance, quality and comfort during the interview with founder of “Artioli” store in Armenia Gor Mekhakyan.

 The first reason of making Armenia a part of the

“Artioli” brand’s history was a personal one...

-Mr. Mekhakyan, the “Artioli” brand has a long history and conquered the world for its elegance, high quality and luxury becoming one that dictates fashion and taste in the shoe market. It’s interesting to know how have you decided to make Armenia a part of the brand’s history and how have you managed it?

-It should be noted that during the past few years the number of the brand stores has significantly increased in Armenia - our newly-independent motherland that has taken the development path. The increase is largely driven by the public’s pronounced interest to fashion and desire to emphasize their own image with their stylish looks and uniqueness.

It’s true that the most part of our society prefers to wear Chinese and Turkish cheap, low-quality products, but generally taste change is noticed, and if possible, the Armenian consumers would prefer European high-quality and exquisite products - especially stylish, comfortable and unique shoes.

And there are objective and subjective reasons for what I decided to spread the “Artioli” brand in Armenia and make it available for the Armenian consumers. The subjective reason is that me and my family members do wear the shoes of this brand that are comfortable, elegant, with interesting and unique design solutions. So, the first reason of making Armenia a part of the “Artioli” brand’s history was a personal one, and the objective reason was that we wanted the shoes of our favorite brand to be sold also in our country, so as it was available in Armenia for the Armenian consumers of fine taste.

 The people of a country with century-long history, culture are able

to assess beautiful and qualified products, including high-quality and elegant shoes.

-Mr. Mekhakyan, the “Artioli” shoes and accessories attracted world-known art and cultural, political figures. In your opinion, which kind of mysterious charm and secret does this brand [created by an Italian family] contain in it?

-Setting goals is the key of achieving success in any business sector. Knowing the “Artioli” brand owners I can confidently say that the key to this brand’s success is their working style, that is - high quality, comfort, fine taste, elegance and general assessment of beauty. I think that this brand’s charm and secret is hidden behind all this.

-The “Artioli” Italian shoe brand is one of the most expensive shoe brands in the world. Has it found its worthy place in the Armenian market? Are the Armenian consumers able to assess the real value of the world-known brand?

-The pricing policy has its consumer sector. As a world-known brand “Artioli” dictates good taste that finds its assessors in every society. The people of a country with century-long history, culture are able to assess beautiful and qualified products, including high-quality and elegant shoes.

Furthermore, in the Armenian market there is a demand of not only “Artioli” shoes and accessories for man, but also exquisite and beautiful bags of fine taste for women that are also shown in our stores.

-Leader of the Italian “Artioli” brand Andrea Artioli has lately been to Armenia. What impressions did he get from our country and people?

-We hosted the founder of the world-known “Artioli” brand in our motherland with great pleasure. During his visit mutually beneficial negotiations were conducted that created a solid foundation for future cooperation. Mr. Artioli promised to again visit our country and expressed his satisfaction for spreading and developing his brand in Armenia.

This world-known Italian was delighted with Armenia, with the beauty of our pink town and with our cultural values. Andrea Artioli left Armenia with good impressions being confident that the Armenian consumers will like and assess his brand, and his business will evolve thanks to the Armenian market.

-One more “Artioli” store opened its doors on the Northern Avenue. What kind of collection is shown there? What’s the difference between the collections shown in both stores?

-Yes, the brand’s second store is already available on the Northern Avenue. We’ve chosen this part of the city as it’s convenient for both the visitors and for organizing successful working process. Concerning the collection, it should be noted that the collections in both stores are almost the same, however the second store is more popular for its sport collection.

-Representing the “Artioli” brand in Armenia means also communicating with the Artioli family. What is your impression of that family? What interesting features has the family that feels style, color and taste so gently and aesthetically?

-Me and our whole working team are delighted with the Artioli family. Our communication with them was a beautiful discovery and an exclusive opportunity to recognize unique human species for us. Then the secret to the brand’s success and mystery of elegance and beauty originality became clear for us. I should definitely mention that the human factor ensures the brand’s long-lasting activity and impeccable taste.

Our communication with the Artioli family was a beautiful discovery

and an exclusive opportunity to recognize unique human species for us.

-Mr Mekhakyan, tell us a little bit about your family. What do your parents do and what family traditions do you have?

-Me and my sister Ramina, who is the deputy director of the “Artioli” brand’s stores in Armenia, have had the image of a businessman father in front of our eyes since childhood. He’s always been an example for us. It’s no coincidence that today me and my sister continue his work combining it with the education. At the same time we’ve been brought up with the values and image of my mother, who is a housewife and who has managed to create and surround us with the warm atmosphere of a traditional Armenian family.

I’m sure that the key to successful business is hard and caring work. The same traditional approach exists also in the family of the “Artioli” brand’s founders.

-You probably initiated the “Artioli” brand’s appearance in Armenia not by chance. It’s interesting, what a role do the fashion, taste and beauty in general play in your and your family’s life?

-The “Artioli” store isn’t only work for us, but it’s also lifestyle and a part of everyday life. We have been wearing the brand’s shoes since childhood assessing the brand’s quality, luxury and exclusive elegance. Beauty plays an important role in our family. We seek beauty everywhere, and in our work we try to combine comfort and fashion.

 We aim to introduce the Armenian society not also shoes and accessories for men,

but also to import elegant shoes for women

that will help our Armenian beauties to look more fashionable, beautiful and luxurious.

-Your initiative speaks also about the fact that you want the Armenian society to be closer to the beauty, art, fashion. Am I right? If yes, do you manage to do it?

-Thank you, you are right! We seek to give a chance to the Armenian consumers to recognize, acquire and assess fashionable, beautiful, world-known shoes. Of course, the process isn’t an easy one, but the trend of changing is obvious, especially among the youth.

-Which is the project of your dreams, and what kind of plans do you have for future?

-We’d like to see that the Armenian consumers always wear comfortable and beautiful things, and to realize that with our work we had a little investment in that important work. This is a dream. As for the future projects, we try to ensure further development of our work based on the expansion of cooperation and work of a dedicated staff.

We aim to introduce the Armenian society not also shoes and accessories for men, but also to import elegant shoes for women that will help our Armenian beauties to look more fashionable, beautiful and luxurious.

I’m hopeful that my future children will continue the work of their grandfather and father,

and they will be elegant, will look for, find and create beauty everywhere.

 

-Mr. Mekhakyan, what important values would you like to convey to your future children?

-As the “Artioli” brand’s principle for achieving success is a joint family work, I’m hopeful that this working style will be conveyed from generation to generation, and my future children will continue the work of their grandfather and father, and they will be elegant, will look for, find and create beauty everywhere.

Interview by Susanna Tamazyan

Translated by Shogh Pahlevanyan