CINCINNATI—Italian luxury brand Mascioni Hotel Collection, which was acquired two years ago by Standard Textile, based here, has manufactured bedding and other fine-linen products for hotels since 1983. The line is made from Supima cotton, which features no-wrinkle finishing that helps the sheets dry 50% faster than regular cotton and eliminates the need to iron them after drying, which saves energy.
“Supima is the world’s finest cotton, and it’s not for everyone,” said Gary Heiman, president/CEO of Standard Textile. “Compared to regular cotton, Supima elongated staple cotton is twice as strong, inherently softer, maintains its whiteness longer and lasts far beyond traditional cotton fibers. Grown exclusively in the U.S., on approximately 500 family-owned farms, great care is taken to preserve the health of the soil and conserve the water that nourishes it. Less than 1% of the world’s cotton qualifies as Supima cotton. Mascioni is one of only a select few in the world certified to craft using it.”
Besides the cotton, Mascioni is also going green in its manufacturing methods and processes, noted Heiman, who said, “Our environmental stewardship focuses in three major areas of manufacturing methods and processes. The first is responsibly managing energy consumption, utilization and generation. For example, the Mascioni factory in Cuvio, Italy, recently converted to a new power generation system, which replaced our coal-fired system. With this switch, Mascioni reduced CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions by 70%. Also, we are currently transforming the lighting system across the entire Mascioni facility, which is more than 3,000 lights.”
He continued, “Second, we are aggressively recycling both manufacturing process supplies and byproduct materials. We depurate all water from our manufacturing process and reutilize to clean machinery that does not interface with fabrics. Third, we are conscientiously considering environmental impact during product development and engineering. Linens from Mascioni Hotel Collection qualify for Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex.”
For Standard Textile, the acquisition of Mascioni, which began as a manufacturer of handmade scarves and handkerchiefs, added a luxury brand to its offerings for the hotel industry.
“As our hotel partners were looking for unique experiences for their most luxurious and boutique hotels, they asked Standard Textile to incorporate our focus on innovation and supply-chain reliability into the world’s finest Italian linen,” said Heiman. “That ultimately led to our investment in the Mascioni Hotel Collection. We recognized an opportunity to broaden our brand portfolio to include an independent heritage brand that focuses exclusively on the characteristics and values of today’s luxury clientele. The Mascioni Hotel Collection embodies the bespoke craftsmanship and innovative artistry of Mascioni SpA, one of Italy’s leading textile design and finishing manufacturers. The creativity, innovative thinking and generational family craftsmanship we found at Mascioni aligned with our own core values.”
The Mascioni Hotel Collection consists of five lines of bedding products: Viareggio, which features 300-thread-count, 100% Supima cotton sateen linen with a white stripe; Elba, which is similar to the former, but without the stripe; Amalfi, consisting of 200-thread-count, 100% cotton percale linen; DreamCotton, 210-thread-count, 100% Supima cotton percale linen; and Ischia, also 210-thread-count, 100% Supima cotton percale linen.
“Each bedding collection satisfies a unique desire,” said Heiman. “Mascioni craftsmen and engineers have developed a unique bedding solution for hotels that requires less post-laundry processing; aptly named, DreamCotton dries 40% faster than standard cotton sheets, but out of the dryer, DreamCotton bedding appears smoother and less wrinkled. Elba is the most sought-after bedding in the collection, and the 300-thread-count sateen linen attains utmost quality and softness. Manufactured with exclusive Supima cotton fibers, Elba is the base fabric for an assortment of bedding created in solid, stripes or jacquard designs.”
The bedding product comes in an assortment of sizes and styles, Heiman noted, including king, queen and full white sheeting collections.
“The customization capabilities are endless, with sheeting available in linen, ivory and gray, as well as printed, jacquard woven and intricate embroidery,” he said. “Working directly with the world’s finest hoteliers, our curators customize the collection to create a unique experience for every hotelier.”
The CEO also pointed out, “The Mascioni Hotel Collection is curated and reserved for the world’s finest hoteliers, who want to create unique and bespoke experiences for their clientele.”
Among the hotels with Mascioni bedding in their guestrooms are the Baccarat Hotel in New York; The Revolution Hotel in Boston; North Block Hotel in Yountville, CA; and Poetry Inn in Napa, CA.
Currently, the Mascioni Hotel Collection, which also includes towels, robes and table linens, can only be found in its partner hotels. That will change soon, noted Heiman.
“Many of our hotel partners have asked us to make the collection available to their guests,” he said. “We are developing the consumer strategy now and plan to have a direct-to-consumer website available this year.”
For hotels interested in procuring the collection for their guestroom beds, it will now take less time to go from the manufacturer to the property.
“Mascioni Hotel Collection has invested in new supply-chain additions, including inventory and logistics, which make the collection available to clients anywhere in North America within five business days,” said Heiman. “No more waiting for products once they are ordered from Italy.” HB