Stefano Ricci started in the world of clothing being known as ‘The King of Ties’, producing incredibly unique ties under their own name and also for other top tier brands. The luxury fashion brand soon expanded into producing a full line of men’s wear, both formal and casual, as well as porcelain, silver, crystal, furniture, and fine watches.
Today, Stefano Ricci boasts support from the most impressive names around the globe, including Tom Cruise, David Foster, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, and Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.
With the first retail location founded in Florence in 1972, Stefano Ricci has over 70 stores around the world, but only one in all of Canada, located in Vancouver on West Georgia Street.
Like all Stefano Ricci shops around the world, the Vancouver location is stunning and decorated like no other clothier in the country – with floor to ceiling cabinetry in California Walnut.
Manuel Bernaschek, a local business man that loves all things Italian, is the owner of Stefano Ricci’s Vancouver location. He made his mark by introducing the fine, handcrafted Italian Fazioli piano to the city.
Manuel Bernaschek. Photo provided by Stefano Ricci.
Bernaschek ordered a special Fazioli in the same California Walnut finish as the Vancouver shop, so that visitors can enjoy live music during their shopping experience.
Having operated the shop for 14 years in Vancouver, Bernaschek has met many talented musicians that could benefit from a little additional exposure.
In collaboration with Showcase Pianos, he has produced music videos for these local talents, all performed on the beautiful California Walnut Fazioli piano, to be shared online for all to view.
The local pianists featured include:
- Libby Yu, who earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts at UBC,
- Evgenia Rabinovich, who studied at Mannes School of Music in New York,
- Wayne Weng, who has earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music as well as from Yale University,
- Carol Zhang, currently studying at Boston University,
- Swedish pianist Carl Pettersen, who received his PhD from the Academy of Music in Karkow, and
- Award winning amateur pianist Daniel Chow – whose touching story has been shared by many online.
The Stefano Ricci Piano Series performances will be released weekly on the Showcase Pianos YouTube Channel.
