Our story

Our story

The logo: Petronio Arbitro

Tito Petronio Nigro was a Roman writer and politician who lived during the reign of Nero. Thanks to his keen eye for beauty and impeccable taste he was an arbiter elegantiae (an authority in matters of taste). He lived during a challenging time given that he was at the court of the erratic emperor who ended up burning the Eternal City on a whim. Luigi Wollisch, founder of Petronius 1926 and a devoted Latinist, was so enamored by this charismatic figure that he decided to use his name for the company’s logo. This curious and fascinating individual from classical antiquity thus became the starting point for Petronius 1926, a family-run company that today remains an important standard-bearer in the world of gentlemen’s neckties.
  • test

    Our story

    The origins of Petronius 1926 are anchored in the concepts of elegance, tradition and craftsmanship. In the mid-1920s, a very determined Luigi Wollisch opened in Milan – in Via Rugabella – his first workshop where he began to produce high quality neckties made by hand. In the 1950s, the business moved to Palazzo Borromeo d’Adda in Via Manzoni, in the historical and artistic heart of Milan, where it remained for four decades. Today, the label’s tie-making atelier is still based in one of the Lombard capital’s thriving neighborhoods, maintaining a tradition set up by the company’s founder. When it was time for Luigi Wollisch to pass on the reins of the family business, he looked to his son, Gastone. Instilled with the same values, Gastone dreamed of taking the company to new heights so he loaded up his suitcases with fabric swatches and traveled the length of Italy to meet clients and establish Petronius 1926 as a mark of excellence and Italian craftsmanship.

  • test

    The Wollisch family

    Luigi, Gigliola and Simona represent the third generation of this respected family business. The vintage suitcases – a symbol of long journeys for work and a desire to engage with a world of elegance – that once belonged to their father Gastone are now firmly in the hands of Gigliola Wollisch. She looks after the international clientele of Petronius 1926 and ensures the brand reaches every corner of the globe. Every day Gigliola puts to use her creativity to conceive new collections for the label. A modern entrepreneur and astute businessman who interacts with the label’s Italian clients, Luigi works in concert with his siblings to create patterns and colors that anticipate fashion trends while remaining faithful to the family’s commitment to refinement and elegance. For Simona, the tools of the trade include their grandfather's tailoring scissors and the sewing machines that work daily with the label’s prized collection of silks, linens and cashmere. Her mission involves running the day-to-day operations of the atelier and upholding the company’s values of traditional craftsmanship and high quality.

Today

Gigliola and Simona carry on the company’s legacy with the same passion, drive and determination shared by every generation of the Wollisch family.