- Words by Tess van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe
Manuel Bernaschek91裸聊视频檚 path to representing one of Europe91裸聊视频檚 top luxury clothing brands and selling some of the most coveted pianos in the world isn91裸聊视频檛 what you might expect.
91裸聊视频淚 worked at a bank for seven years, while I was in school and college, and then went into an accounting job, which, to be honest, was a little bit boring!91裸聊视频� says Manuel, the rep for Stefano Ricci in Canada and the owner of Showcase Pianos. 91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 realize how much I liked interacting with people versus staring at a screen all day.91裸聊视频�
The Coquitlam native started working in music stores instead, where his ability to speak Mandarin was put to good use selling pianos. It was here that he first heard about hand-built Fazioli pianos.
91裸聊视频淎ll the research I did showed that anyone who touched a Fazioli piano said that it was a whole world of difference from any other piano,91裸聊视频� the 47-year-old explains. 91裸聊视频淚f price was no object, what would it take to make the best piano in the world? That91裸聊视频檚 what Mr. Fazioli91裸聊视频檚 goal was and they91裸聊视频檙e used by top pianists.91裸聊视频�
Manuel asked his manager if they could bring Fazioli pianos to Vancouver, but was told it wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be possible because the store was a Steinway piano dealer.
91裸聊视频淢y wife, Judy, and I talked about it and we decided we could bring the brand to Vancouver,91裸聊视频� Manuel says. 91裸聊视频淲e opened up a shop in 2007 and a second location the next year, and the rest is history.91裸聊视频�
In that first year of the business, the founder of Fazioli invited the couple to Italy to see their factory in Sacile, northeast of Venice. It was there, while visiting Rome, that Manuel discovered the luxury lifestyle brand Stefano Ricci, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e always been big into ties91裸聊视频攁s a salesperson I always wanted to have a tie that was a conversation piece91裸聊视频攁nd I saw the most incredible ties in Italy. I was in love! My wife said, 91裸聊视频榃hy would you get a tie that expensive?91裸聊视频� But for me, it was a work of art and I knew I had to bring the brand to Vancouver.91裸聊视频�
They opened their high-end Stefano Ricci clothing store exactly 10 years later, in 2017.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 actually a bit of crossover between the two because we91裸聊视频檙e meeting all sorts of fantastic families that are buying pianos and they91裸聊视频檙e the type of people who aren91裸聊视频檛 swayed by popular opinion,91裸聊视频� Manuel says. 91裸聊视频淭hey research and want the best, so that91裸聊视频檚 how they find Stefano Ricci and Fazioli. They91裸聊视频檙e not the kind of people who want to be like everybody else.91裸聊视频�
Navigating the businesses through the first years of the pandemic wasn91裸聊视频檛 without its challenges91裸聊视频攅specially for the clothing store, which saw sales slump.
91裸聊视频淪ales were basically dead because people didn91裸聊视频檛 need new suits and accessories during that time,91裸聊视频� Manuel explains. 91裸聊视频淏ut we came back with our 91裸聊视频榤ade to measure91裸聊视频� events and that91裸聊视频檚 really become a hot thing for Vancouver. We fly out a master tailor from Europe, one of the best master tailors in the world, and have live music and champagne and food.91裸聊视频�
The first year of the pandemic five people ordered suits at the event. That number skyrocketed to 30 after things started to open up again.
91裸聊视频淭hese are quite costly suits but they91裸聊视频檙e the best,91裸聊视频� Manuel says. 91裸聊视频淭hey start at $13,000 for a made-to-measure suit and they go up to $50,00091裸聊视频攁nd we had people in the entire range. But no one does the amount of measurements Stefano Ricci does, or the customization, or the incredible fabrics. We basically start where the other brands leave off in terms of the quality of the fabric.91裸聊视频�
Piano popularity actually surged during the pandemic91裸聊视频攕omething Manuel credits to people being stuck at home. Instead of travelling, they invested in pianos.
91裸聊视频淓ven while the store was closed at the start of the pandemic, I put my number on the website and asked people to reach out to me if they wanted to see a piano and, sure enough, every couple of days, we had people coming in to look at a piano. I would just meet them there and then close up again.91裸聊视频�
Manuel admits he91裸聊视频檚 made mistakes along the way, which have all been learning experiences, but the biggest misstep was one he managed to avert before the doors even opened.
91裸聊视频淚 wanted to partner with a friend, who91裸聊视频檚 also a piano player, so we91裸聊视频檇 have shared responsibility and I wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have to be in the store seven days a week,91裸聊视频� he recounts. 91裸聊视频淚 offered him 25 per cent of the business91裸聊视频攅ven though he wasn91裸聊视频檛 putting any money in91裸聊视频攂ut he said a 50/50 partnership would be better, and turned me down when I wouldn91裸聊视频檛 agree to that. Now I look back on it and think I almost gave away part of my business! It feels great knowing I dodged that bullet.91裸聊视频�
But the biggest lesson as an entrepreneur has been to not give up.
91裸聊视频淲e really have to work hard for everything, and for me to even survive to this point, it91裸聊视频檚 taken a series of almost endless miracles.91裸聊视频�
One of those miracles was connecting with the owners of Westbank, while they were building the Shangri-La in Vancouver, and convincing them to buy a Fazioli for the hotel.
91裸聊视频淚t took about 60 emails and phone calls to get a contact for the hotel91裸聊视频檚 general manager and I finally found out where their off-site office was during the construction, and I went there with goodies,91裸聊视频� Manuel says. 91裸聊视频淚 could tell he was annoyed because he was trying to get rid of me the entire time and he said it wasn91裸聊视频檛 even his decision. As he started to close the door on me, I found out who I needed to talk to at Westbank and we made a deal. To this day, we91裸聊视频檙e very good friends with them and they91裸聊视频檝e bought at least 26 pianos now for various properties. So, the moral of the story is, don91裸聊视频檛 give up!91裸聊视频�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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