Farewell to Alberto Masotti, who had led La Perla

Alberto Masotti, son of Ada Masotti – founder of the historic lingerie brand La Perla – has passed away in Bologna at the age of 90. He had led the family business from 1981 to 2007. After graduating with a degree in medicine, Masotti decided to join the family business. From 1981 to 2007, he served as its chairman, expanding La Perla’s global reach, introducing a beachwear and ready-to-wear range – designed, like the other collections, by his wife Olga Cantelli – and launching new brands such as GrigioPerla, Malizia, AnnaClub and Joelle. He also dedicated a book to the history of La Perla, *La nostra Perla – From Bologna, the story of Italian lingerie that captivated the world*, published in 2024 by Minerva Edizioni.

Appointed a Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Italian Republic in 1995, he had also served as chairman of the Board of Arbitrators at the Altagamma Foundation and as vice-president of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. In 2015, he founded Fashion Research Italy, a centre for innovation, training and research in fashion and technology in Emilia-Romagna.

After years of financial difficulties, weighed down by 70 million in debt, in 2007 the Masotti family first sold 70 per cent of the share capital and then all of its shares to the US fund JH Partners, which in turn sold the company in 2013 toentrepreneur Silvio Scaglia, via the holding company Pacific Global Management, which paid 69 million euros for it. Five years later, the company changed hands once again and was sold to another fund, Sapinda Holding (later Tennor), owned by the German financier Lars Windhorst. These were difficult years, the long-awaited relaunch is constantly being postponed and jobs are hanging in the balance.

Finally, in 2025, La Perla was taken over by the American entrepreneur Peter Kern, former CEO of Expedia, for 25 million euros, and a revitalisation plan was launched, leading to the reopening of the factory and the appointment of a new CEO, Alessio Vannetti. The first collection under the new management was presented last September during Milan Fashion Week.

“It is with deep sorrow that La Perla mourns the passing of Alberto Masotti, son of the founder, Ada Masotti,” reads a statement released by the company. With entrepreneurial vision and a deep commitment to the family’s art of tailoring, he helped transform a Bolognese atelier into an internationally renowned fashion house. Together with his wife Olga and, later, his daughter Anna, he wrote a pivotal chapter in the history of La Perla. His commitment to safeguarding and promoting Italia’s creative heritage extended beyond La Perla, leaving a lasting legacy in fashion, culture and education.”