Borsalino
An Italian luxury hatmaker founded in Alessandria in 1857 and associated worldwide with handcrafted felt and straw hats.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Borsalino is an Italian luxury hat brand and manufacturer whose identity is rooted in Alessandria, Piedmont, where Giuseppe Borsalino established a felt-hat workshop on 4 April 1857. The business developed from artisanal production into an industrial manufacturer while retaining a strong emphasis on manual finishing, material quality and distinctive hat shapes. Its name became particularly associated with the soft felt fedora, although the company has also produced Panama and other straw hats, formal hats, caps and related accessories. The company expanded substantially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1888 it moved into a factory designed by architect Arnaldo Gardella on Corso Cento Cannoni in Alessandria. International recognition increased after Borsalino received the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. By the eve of the First World War, the manufacturer was producing approximately two million hats a year and employing more than 2,500 people. Its products reached major overseas markets, especially Britain and the United States, where hats became closely linked with Hollywood and the visual language of classic cinema. Borsalino’s growth also created a family succession dispute. Giuseppe Borsalino’s designated heir, Teresio, faced competition from his cousin Giovanni Borsalino, who established a separate factory under the family name. The resulting commercial conflict between the two Borsalino businesses eventually ended with the Teresio branch prevailing and the name being consolidated. The brand later became a cultural reference extending beyond ordinary headwear: its hats appeared in films such as Casablanca, 8½, Breathless and Once Upon a Time in America, while the company’s name was licensed for the 1970s films Borsalino and Borsalino & Co. Changing social habits weakened demand for formal hats after the Second World War. During the 1950s Borsalino shifted from a broad mass-market product toward a more selective, fashion-oriented and collectible luxury object. The company moved production from its historic city-center factory to Spinetta Marengo in 1987, and Vittorio Vaccarino, described as the last Borsalino-family president, sold the company to Milanese entrepreneurs. Ownership changed several times during the 1990s and 2000s. A later ownership crisis became associated with entrepreneur Marco Marenco and a reported financial collapse. On 18 December 2017, the Court of Alessandria declared Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello S.p.A. bankrupt. Haeres Equita, which had managed the brand’s activities since 2016, stated that it intended to preserve production, distribution, employment and the Alessandria manufacturing site. In July 2018, a court auction transferred the company to Haeres Equita for €6.4 million. Borsalino continues to position itself around premium craftsmanship, Italian manufacturing and the cultural symbolism of the hat. Felt hats can require more than 50 manual operations and approximately seven weeks of work, while certain hand-twisted straw models may take as long as six months. The brand sells classic and contemporary hat lines through its own channels and international distribution. Its historical relationship with art, design, theatre, film and fashion remains central to its distinction, supported by collaborations and archival activities including the Borsalino Hat Museum in Alessandria.
History
Giuseppe Borsalino opened a felt-hat workshop in Alessandria on 4 April 1857. The enterprise gradually adopted industrial methods while remaining associated with skilled hatmaking. In 1888, production moved to a new factory on Corso Cento Cannoni, designed by Arnaldo Gardella. The larger site enabled substantial output, reported at about 2,500 hats per day during the period of expansion. International visibility grew after Borsalino won the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. This recognition helped establish the company as a major Italian manufacturer in overseas markets. Before the First World War, annual production had reached approximately two million hats, with a workforce exceeding 2,500 people. Britain and the United States were especially important destinations, and the brand became increasingly visible through American popular culture and the Hollywood studio system. The succession following Giuseppe Borsalino’s generation was contested. Teresio Borsalino, the designated successor, faced a challenge from his cousin Giovanni Borsalino, son of Lazzaro, who founded another factory using the family surname. The two enterprises engaged in a prolonged commercial rivalry. The Teresio branch eventually prevailed, allowing the Borsalino name to be unified under one company. The postwar decline of formal hat wearing affected the wider industry. From around the 1950s, Borsalino moved away from being primarily a high-volume product and increasingly became a symbol of style, status and cinematic sophistication. Its association with film was strengthened by appearances worn by figures including Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Robert De Niro. The company also permitted its name to be used for the films Borsalino and Borsalino & Co., linking the trademark directly to cinema history. In 1987, manufacturing moved from the historic center of Alessandria to a facility in Spinetta Marengo. Vittorio Vaccarino, identified in the reference material as the last president descended from the founding family, sold the company to Milanese entrepreneurs. Ownership changed repeatedly during the 1990s. In a later period the business became connected with entrepreneur Marco Marenco, whose wider financial collapse created severe pressure around the company. The Court of Alessandria declared Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello S.p.A. bankrupt on 18 December 2017. Haeres Equita, which had managed the brand’s activities from 2016, stated that it would seek to continue production, distribution and promotion while retaining workers and the Alessandria site. The company was sold in a court auction to Haeres Equita on 12 July 2018 for €6.4 million. Borsalino’s manufacturing model remains based in Alessandria and combines industrial organization with extensive handwork. Felt models are made from fur fibers and may require more than 50 manual stages and around seven weeks of work. Some straw hats are hand-twisted and can take up to six months. The brand’s historical factory has also acquired cultural significance: the former headquarters became home to the University of Eastern Piedmont and the Borsalino Hat Museum, which opened in 2006 with an approximately 2,000-piece hat collection. Borsalino has continued to draw on art, design, film and fashion through advertising commissions, exhibitions and collaborations with designers and fashion houses.
- 2018
Haeres Equita wins the court auction
[1]Haeres Equita acquires the company at auction for €6.4 million and states its intention to continue production in Alessandria.
- 2017
160th anniversary recognition
[1]The Italian Ministry of Economic Development recognizes Borsalino as a production-system excellence and issues a commemorative stamp.
- 2017
Court declares Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello bankrupt
[1]The Court of Alessandria declares the operating company bankrupt on 18 December.
- 2016
Haeres Equita manages the brand’s activities
[1]Haeres Equita assumes management of Borsalino’s activities during the period preceding the company’s bankruptcy and later court sale.
- 2009
Borsalino is presented as an Italian design icon
[1]The brand is included in the Triennale Design Museum’s Serie Fuori Serie exhibition of quintessential Italian products.
- 2006
Borsalino Hat Museum opens
[1]A museum dedicated to the company’s history and hat collection opens in the former historic headquarters.
- 1987
Manufacturing moves to Spinetta Marengo
[1]Production leaves the historic center of Alessandria for a facility in the city’s Spinetta Marengo district.
- 1950
Borsalino shifts toward cult luxury positioning
[1]As formal hats become less common, Borsalino moves from a mass-oriented product toward a more selective and culturally symbolic luxury object.
- 1914
The company reaches large-scale prewar production
[1]By the eve of the First World War, Borsalino is reported to produce about two million hats annually and employ more than 2,500 people.
- 1900
Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition Universelle
[1]Borsalino receives the Grand Prix, expanding international awareness of the brand.
Products and positioning
Italian luxury headwear centered on craftsmanship, heritage, film culture and premium natural materials.
Felt hat
Felt Fedora
Borsalino’s signature soft felt hat is associated with a creased crown, brim and refined Italian finishing. The company’s felt models are made from fur fibers and involve extensive manual work, with the referenced production description citing more than 50 hand operations and approximately seven weeks for completion. The style became internationally recognizable through fashion photography, film and popular culture.
Straw hat
Panama and straw hats
Borsalino’s straw range extends the brand’s craftsmanship into lightweight warm-weather headwear. Certain models are hand-twisted, and the production process can take up to six months for an individual hat according to the referenced material. These styles support the brand’s luxury positioning through material selection, shaping and hand finishing.
Special collection · 2018
The Bogart by Borsalino
Introduced in 2018, The Bogart by Borsalino is a special collection developed with the Humphrey Bogart Estate. It draws on the actor’s long-standing association with classic screen style and Borsalino hats, turning that relationship into a dedicated branded offering.
Headwear
Formal and dress hats
Alongside its best-known fedoras, Borsalino has produced formal silhouettes and other structured headwear. These products reflect the company’s original specialization in high-quality hats and serve customers seeking traditional tailoring, ceremonial dressing or a more formal luxury accessory.
Controversies
2017
Bankruptcy of Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello S.p.A.
The Court of Alessandria declared the operating company bankrupt on 18 December 2017. The company’s ownership history had included a period connected with entrepreneur Marco Marenco and a reported €3.5 billion financial collapse. The bankruptcy threatened continuity but was followed by a court-supervised sale of the business.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018The Bogart by Borsalino
Global
Borsalino launched a Humphrey Bogart-inspired special collection in collaboration with the Humphrey Bogart Estate.
Outcome. The initiative renewed the brand’s cinema-based heritage and connected a historical film association with a contemporary product line.
- 2016Borsalino City
Italy · International film festivals
The documentary Borsalino City by Enrica Viola explored the company’s historical, social and civic relationship with Alessandria.
Outcome. The film was presented at festivals in Turin, Barcelona and Melbourne.
- 1910Zenit hat advertising competition
Italy
Borsalino organized a competition to promote its Zenit hat. Marcello Dudovich won, contributing to the brand’s long tradition of commissioning prominent artists for advertising.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced the association between Borsalino, graphic art and Italian commercial design.
Brand decisions
2018
Court-auction acquisition by Haeres EquitaM&ABackground
Following the company’s bankruptcy, the brand and operating business were offered through a court-supervised sale.
Action taken
Haeres Equita acquired Borsalino for €6.4 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition enabled the brand to continue production and commercial activities under Haeres Equita’s ownership.
Court-auction purchase price. €6.4 million (12 July 2018)
2017
Continuation plan during bankruptcy proceedingsOtherBackground
The Court of Alessandria declared Borsalino Giuseppe e Fratello S.p.A. bankrupt.
Action taken
Haeres Equita stated that production, distribution and promotion would continue, with employment and the Alessandria production site maintained.
Aftermath
The business was subsequently sold to Haeres Equita through a court auction in July 2018.
1987
Relocation of the manufacturing facilityStrategyBackground
The company needed to operate from a newer production site while retaining its roots in Alessandria.
Action taken
Borsalino moved manufacturing from its historic city-center premises to Spinetta Marengo.
Aftermath
The new site remained associated with the company’s continuing production in the Alessandria area.
Sources2 sources
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