Victor, we are currently in your cosy chalet, with this beautiful view on the St. Moritz lake where the Snow Polo is taking place at the moment.
You love photography, and you were creative director of a major advertising agency in Zurich. You are also a collector of … great… masters of photography, notably Irvin Pen, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bert Stern and many others…
So my first question will be rather straightforward: why have you created your cashmere sweater brand, “rebelheart”, here in Switzerland?
Switzerland, and particularly St. Moritz, is a popular destination for high-end customers from all over the world, so it’s the perfect place to create a collection of unique, high-quality sweaters.
It is no accident that the slogan of this beautiful destination is: “St. Moritz. Top of the World”.
Right from the start, we wanted to match this reputation.
Your sweaters are of very high quality, which means high price and luxury. Where can we find your collection?
Today, it is available in St. Moritz, Gstaad, Crans-Montana, Arosa, Geneva, Saint-Tropez and very soon in Zermatt.
We have also created a limited edition for the members of the “Paradiso Mountain Club”, a VIP meeting point for the most demanding people at more than 2,000 meters of altitude in St. Moritz. The “Paradiso” belongs to the famous 5-star hotel “Badrutt’s Palace” in St. Moritz.
By the end of 2022, we were able to display our creations at the prestigious hotel “The Peninsula New York”.
What makes rebelheart sweaters so unique and timeless?
Unique. High quality. Timeless. That’s what rebelheart stands for. It is more than a matter of heart and a clear strategy. rebelheart stands for “iconic cashmere sweaters, dedicated to the top destinations of the world” It also means a lot to me that the sweaters are only available in one multi-brand store per destination. In the very best store.
Could you explain to me the meaning of the patch with the different names of the seaside cities or skiing on it. This is your trademark that can be found on the chest of each sweater.
rebelheart is known for its unique design ideas, starting with the “Vintage Patch” line. In the 40’s until the 80’s, wearing a sweater with a winter destination patch was very chic. I myself had a sweater with a St. Moritz patch. I loved it, and I wanted to revive this element of the past. For this line, I searched for VIP winter and summer destination patches from around the world. Generally, these are one-of-a-kind finds that are between 40 and 70 years old. After that, each sweater is perfected, and therefore unique.
All these timeless collections such as Jacquard, Sgrafitti Capricorn or Cross complement the vintage designs, and stand out with unique pieces or extremely limited editions.
Can you tell us more about the manufacturing of your sweaters? In particular about the cashmere yarn.
Our premium cashmere yarn comes from one of the top 3 yarn factories in the world: Cariaggi, Italy. Brunello Cucinelli, for example, need only Cariaggi yarns for many years for all its cashmere creations. Our demanding production is made in a small family business specialized in high-end cashmere, in the north of Italy. We use 12 or 18 strand yarns and each sweater is the result of meticulous craftsmanship and manual work.
Your sweaters are elegant, and almost unique. Why don’t you decide to sell them in your own boutiques, rather than in a distribution network of multi-brand boutiques?
To be available quickly in all VIP destinations. This is why we chose the best multi-brand store, with the best position for rebelheart. This way, we ensure a consistent brand presence and a clear understanding of the brand’s values, without blowing up the costs.
Your collection is focused on a winter trend.
Do you plan to expand one day to include sweaters for spring or summer?
Yes, we are currently making lighter cashmere sweaters for spring, which also represent our unique philosophy. And since I find it very hard to pull off a sweater with such beautiful patches, we also created a line of t-shirts, also with patches. They are hand-printed, in a limited edition of 50 pieces, and individually numbered. These enlarged patches on the front of the t-shirt are not only beautiful to look at, but also exclusive. The subject is not printed, it is engraved, so that you can’t feel any difference to the touch.
Is your collection available online?
No, you cannot order online. Out of respect for our partners, but also because the sweaters are too exclusive and would make an online sale extremely complicated, since it is mostly a unique piece, in one color and one size.
One last word for our magazine that adores celebrities and personalities: can you tell us a few of the famous names that have worn your sweaters this winter?
I can’t and don’t want to mention names. The rebelheart brand is too private, and customers wouldn’t appreciate it. However, I can tell you one of many anecdotes: the CEO of one of the world’s biggest fashion brands recently bought one of our sweaters.
Victor Zahn, thank you for welcoming us to this beautiful place, as well as your lovely wife Tiziana and your adorable dog “Frida”, who joined us throughout our report.
intasgram @rebelheartcashmere – www.rebelheart.ch
st. moritz switzerland “the top destinations of the world”
special thanks to Angela Donava @angeladonava and Sam @samfashionlover
