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Retail Inside Montegrappa With Giuseppe Aquila On Culture And The Future Of Luxury By Kate Hardcastle ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. AKA The Customer Whisperer: advisor, broadcaster, Science of Shopping Follow Author Jul 30, 2026, 07:18am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary Italian luxury pen maker Montegrappa, a century-old brand, has long defied industry norms by prioritizing experience and community over mere product ownership. CEO Giuseppe Aquila explains their pioneering strategy of collaborating with cultural icons like *The Shining* and Batman, attracting diverse fan communities who discover the brand through shared passions. This approach transforms luxury pens into emotionally resonant cultural artifacts, often passed down generations. Montegrappa also embraces hospitality-inspired retail experiences and strategic partnerships, recognizing that storytelling and craftsmanship create lasting value. By provoking strong reactions and continuously innovating, Montegrappa remains culturally relevant, proving that heritage, collaboration, and exceptional experiences are key to engaging new audiences in the evolving luxury market.
Luxury’s biggest challenge isn’t simply convincing consumers to buy another beautifully made object. Increasingly, it’s persuading them to spend on ownership rather than experience. Hospitality has become fashion’s fiercest rival, entertainment has become retail’s most effective marketing tool and the brands winning attention are those creating communities rather than simply collections.
Few would expect one of the earliest pioneers of that thinking to be a century-old pen maker from northern Italy.
Long before collaborations became fashion’s favourite growth strategy, Montegrappa was pairing exceptional Italian craftsmanship with cultural icons. Batman, Harry Potter, Formula One, Ferrari and now Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining have all become part of the brand’s universe, attracting collectors who may never have previously considered buying a luxury writing instrument. It is a strategy that has transformed a niche category into something much broader, proving that storytelling can be as valuable a material as gold, celluloid or precious resin.
When I sat down with Montegrappa CEO Giuseppe Aquila, our conversation quickly moved beyond pens. We spoke about why provoking a reaction is often a better commercial outcome than playing safe, how fandom introduces entirely new audiences to heritage brands, why objects handed from one generation to the next still carry extraordinary emotional value, and how luxury retail increasingly borrows its cues from the world’s best hotels. We even touched on a confidential hospitality collaboration waiting in the wings, underlining just how closely luxury sectors now overlap.
Our conversation coincided with the launch of Montegrappa’s officially licensed The Shining collection , an extraordinary piece of craftsmanship that captures Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece through intricate mechanical details and obsessive storytelling. Yet, as impressive as the pen itself is, it also illustrates a much larger point: the most enduring luxury brands don’t simply manufacture products. They create cultural artefacts that people want to own because they mean something.
Kate Hardcastle: Montegrappa was collaborating with cultural icons long before it became fashionable. What gave you the confidence to become such an early pioneer?
Giuseppe Aquila: We were certainly pioneers. Our first licensing collaboration was back in 1995, and we were the first pen company to dedicate collections to superheroes, DC Comics, Harry Potter and other areas of pop culture.
One thing I’ve learned is that when a product creates a strong reaction - whether people love it or hate it - that’s usually a positive sign. If everyone simply thinks it’s “nice”, it may never become commercially successful. Our collectors are passionate, but they’re also a niche. Collaborations allow us to reach people who might never have considered buying a luxury pen. They arrive because they love Batman, Formula One or Harry Potter, then they discover Montegrappa and often stay with us.
KH: Your pens are often bought to mark life’s biggest moments. Why does that emotional connection remain so important?
What is fascinating is reading the letters that accompany them. Customers tell us the pen was a graduation gift from their father or belonged to their grandfather. Sometimes they ask us not to remove a dent because it reminds them of a specific memory. It’s not an object people throw away. It becomes something that passes from one generation to the next.
KH: Luxury today is competing as much with experiences as with other brands. How is Montegrappa responding?
GA: Experience is becoming incredibly important. We’ve recently started opening boutiques with our sister luxury brand, Abel Richard , in prestigious locations around the world. They’re designed very differently from a traditional pen shop. Clients are welcomed with champagne, encouraged to spend time trying different nibs, and can sit in comfortable lounges while discovering the products.
It’s a luxurious environment where people experience not only our writing instruments but also our wider lifestyle collection, including leather goods, luggage, cashmere accessories and, most recently, sneakers. The customer experience should reflect the quality of the craftsmanship.
We’re also exploring partnerships with luxury hospitality because we’re speaking to the same audience. The people who appreciate exceptional hotels are often the same people who appreciate beautifully made objects.
KH: Your latest collaboration is inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining . What makes this collection special?
GA: It’s our first pen inspired by a horror film, which makes it especially exciting. It’s...
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