Italian fashion brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia are preparing to open their first Canadian stores at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto this fall, launching a broader expansion that could eventually bring the brands to many of Canada’s leading shopping centres.
The two Oniverse-owned brands are targeting an October opening at Sherway Gardens, where the former Kate Spade space is being divided into two side-by-side stores. The boutiques will operate independently, with separate entrances, branding, staff and store management. A second Canadian location is already planned for CF Toronto Eaton Centre in May 2027.
The expansion is being led by ILT Group Inc., Oniverse’s exclusive Canadian partner, with General Manager Andrea Meoni overseeing the Canadian operation alongside longtime Oniverse business partner Mauro Mammina. In an extensive interview with Retail Insider, the executives outlined plans to build a significant store network in Canada, with the pace of expansion tied to the performance of the initial locations.
“Our goal is to eventually be present in at least 20 of Canada’s leading shopping centres,” Meoni said.
Results from the first five, six or seven stores will help determine the pace of subsequent expansion. ILT intends to establish clusters of locations that can support the management, training and customer-service structure used by the brands internationally.
Toronto to Anchor Initial Canadian Expansion
ILT plans to expand concentrically, establishing store density in key markets before moving into additional parts of Canada. Meoni said the model places considerable emphasis on customer service, employee training and frequent interaction between district management and individual stores, making geographic concentration important as the network grows.
In established markets, district managers can visit stores several times each week. ILT expects to build its initial network around Toronto and other Eastern Canadian markets before progressing west.
“Our strategy is to build outward from the centre,” Meoni said. “We could develop Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa first and then gradually move toward Vancouver.”
Vancouver is already being evaluated. Meoni said the team has visited the city and examined the market, putting Western Canada within the longer-term expansion plan.
Intimissimi and Calzedonia could also appear close to one another in many shopping centres. The brands do not need to be directly adjacent, but Meoni said they generally seek similar traffic patterns, customer flows, mall positioning and surrounding tenant mixes. This often results in both brands operating within the same area of a shopping centre.
Cadillac Fairview Becomes Early Expansion Partner
Cadillac Fairview has played an important role in the initial Canadian rollout. Meoni said ILT spent considerable time introducing the Oniverse brands and its organization to the landlord, with discussions leading to opportunities at both CF Sherway Gardens and CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
“Cadillac Fairview was very interested in being part of the launch of these brands in Canada,” Meoni said. “There were extensive discussions because they needed to understand not only the brands, but also who we are as their Canadian partner. They have been a very strong partner for us.”
At Sherway Gardens, the former Kate Spade unit is being divided into independent boutiques for Intimissimi and Calzedonia. Mammina stressed that the two will be presented to consumers as distinct brands despite occupying neighbouring spaces.
“They will be completely separate,” Mammina said. “There will be two brands, two entrances, separate staff and separate store managers. From the customer’s perspective, they are two distinct stores.”
Construction is underway, with both stores expected to open in October. The company has an internal target date but is not announcing it publicly while construction progresses and opening plans are finalized. CF Toronto Eaton Centre will follow in May 2027, although ILT is not yet disclosing the precise location within the property.
Intimissimi and Calzedonia Enter Canada
Intimissimi and Calzedonia are among the largest brands within Verona-based Oniverse, the privately held Italian company formerly known as Calzedonia Group. Intimissimi is focused on Italian lingerie, underwear, sleepwear and related categories, while Calzedonia specializes in legwear including tights, stockings, leggings and socks, along with swimwear.
Calzedonia traces its history to 1986, while Intimissimi celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026. Both have developed extensive international store networks and expanded in the United States, while Canada has remained a gap in their North American footprint.
ILT had been studying Canada for approximately a year and a half before moving forward with the expansion. The entry comes as Oniverse continues to grow its business in North America and other international markets.
“Oniverse is investing significantly in North America, and Canada is an important part of the North American market,” Meoni said. “We had also been studying Canada ourselves for a long time. The process took about a year and a half before we were ready to move forward.”
Oniverse generated approximately €3.7 billion in revenue in 2025 and finished the year with more than 5,500 stores across 59 countries. Most of its retail network is located outside Italy, giving the group an extensive international operating base as it enters Canada.
Experienced Oniverse Partners Lead Canadian Rollout
ILT’s Canadian operation was established recently, while the business group behind it has worked with Oniverse for years. Mammina and business partner Nevio Gabriele previously worked within the organization before becoming independent entrepreneurs and developing Oniverse brands in international markets. Their broader organization has built a network exceeding 100 stores, including operations in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
That experience is now being applied to Canada through Toronto-based ILT Group. Meoni said Oniverse founder Sandro Veronesi supported the partners’ move into Canada after they had studied the market. He said Oniverse was interested in entering Canada regardless, with ILT’s longstanding relationship with the company creating the opportunity for the group to lead the expansion.
“We have been long-term partners with Oniverse, and we had been studying the Canadian market for some time,” Meoni said. “Sandro Veronesi gave us the opportunity to develop Canada. If we hadn’t done it, I believe Oniverse would have entered the market eventually. It was really a question of timing.”
Hudson’s Bay Exit Creates Market Opportunity
ILT’s plans to enter Canada were underway before the closure of Hudson’s Bay stores. Meoni said the department store’s collapse was not a factor in the decision to launch Intimissimi and Calzedonia, although its exit could create additional opportunity in categories where Hudson’s Bay previously held significant market share.
“Our plans to enter Canada started before Hudson’s Bay closed, so that wasn’t the reason for our decision,” Meoni said. “But we also have to recognize that when Hudson’s Bay closed, a significant share of the underwear market disappeared with it. That could create additional room for us to establish our share of the market.”
Hudson’s Bay had been a major Canadian distribution channel for lingerie and intimate apparel brands. Its closure comes as Intimissimi prepares to build a standalone store network and Canadian consumers shift spending in the category to other retailers.
Calzedonia has a more specialized proposition centred on hosiery, tights, leggings, socks and related legwear. The format gives ILT a differentiated offering within Canada’s mall-based fashion market as it introduces the brand to Canadian consumers.
Physical Stores Lead Canadian Strategy
Customer service is central to the Oniverse operating model, according to Meoni and Mammina. The executives said lingerie in particular requires product knowledge and customer assistance, while operating standalone stores allows the company to train its own teams and receive direct feedback from shoppers.
“Lingerie is different from many other clothing categories because the product needs to be understood and explained,” Meoni said. “We want to have our own trained staff working directly with customers, and we also want to receive that feedback directly from the market.”
ILT will initially focus on physical retail in Canada, with e-commerce expected to be introduced at a later stage. The first phase will concentrate on opening stores and increasing awareness of Intimissimi and Calzedonia.
“Our first priority is to build awareness of the brands in Canada,” Mammina said. “We want people to get to know Intimissimi and Calzedonia. Once customers discover the brands, we believe they will appreciate the quality, the price positioning and the overall experience, and our goal is to turn them into loyal customers.”
CF Toronto Eaton Centre will be particularly important for brand visibility given the volume of domestic and international visitors moving through the downtown shopping centre. The location will also expose the brands to consumers who may already know Intimissimi and Calzedonia from Europe, the United States and other markets.
IUMAN Could Eventually Enter Canada
Intimissimi and Calzedonia are part of a larger Oniverse fashion portfolio that includes Tezenis, Falconeri, IUMAN Intimissimi Uomo, Emé and luxury fashion brand Antonio Marras. The group has also diversified beyond fashion into businesses including wine and hospitality and luxury yachting.
ILT is initially concentrating its Canadian efforts on Intimissimi and Calzedonia, although IUMAN Intimissimi Uomo could become part of the market at a later stage. Intimissimi’s Canadian stores will carry a limited selection of men’s merchandise, giving the company an opportunity to gauge demand before considering a standalone men’s concept.
“We will have part of the men’s collection inside Intimissimi,” Meoni said. “It will obviously be a smaller assortment than you would find in a dedicated IUMAN store, but it will also give us an opportunity to see how the Canadian market responds. If everything develops as we expect, I am quite confident that IUMAN could eventually come to Canada as well.”
Oniverse operates a vertically integrated model spanning product development, manufacturing and retail distribution, giving the company control over much of its supply chain. Meoni and Mammina said that structure supports product quality and the positioning of the group’s brands.
“Being vertically integrated gives us control over the supply chain and the quality of the product,” Mammina said, identifying Italian design and customer service as other important parts of the company’s positioning.
National Store Network Planned
CF Sherway Gardens will open the Canadian network this fall, followed by CF Toronto Eaton Centre in the spring of 2027. Additional locations will be determined by the performance of the initial stores and ILT’s ability to build the management and operational infrastructure needed to support them.
The company expects to establish greater density around Toronto and other Eastern Canadian markets before expanding farther west. Vancouver has already been evaluated, while Montreal and Ottawa are also identified within the expansion strategy.
If the initial locations meet expectations, ILT sees an opportunity to establish Intimissimi and Calzedonia across many of Canada’s leading shopping centres, with the first two boutiques at CF Sherway Gardens beginning what could become a significant national retail network.
