Oscalito

Osvaldo Casalini, Lino, Torino – a name, a place and a brand history in four short syllables and a famous silhouette designed by the school of Gino Boccasile:  OsCaLiTo is the story of a family, a city and of true enthusiasm.

In Turin in the early 1930’s, Osvaldo and Lino Casalini began producing cotton and woolen fabrics; in 1936, they launched the trademark Oscalito.  Working exclusively with natural and high-quality fibres, they presented knitwear lines for men, women and children.

After the disasters of World War II, in a building alongside the River Po, the Casalini brothers set up two knitting machines that had survived the War and started production again in a country where reconstruction was enthusiastically underway.  In 1946 Osvaldo and Lino celebrated Oscalito’s tenth anniversary.  They decided to focus the growing business on manufacturing garments for men and women.

Arrigo and Andrea, Lino’s adolescent sons, modelled for Oscalito’s advertising campaigns.  Initially, though, only Andrea was drawn to working with fabrics.  After graduating as a textile expert in 1967, he attended the Leicester College of Textile Art and Technology.  On returning to Turin, Andrea began to experiment with designs on wild and pattern textile machines and with new yarns and fashion garments, broadening the range to more fashionable items.  His innovations found favour on the US market, while orders, commitments and production took off.

In 1975 Arrigo joined the company, giving a fresh boost to sales.  The following years were marked by constant growth.  As the export market became increasingly important to the business, women’s fashion items began to play a central role.  In 2014, the third generation joined the company as Dario Casalini, a former Professor of Law, gradually took over the reins in a spirit of continuity, refreshing the brand while expanding into international markets.

Oscalito – enthusiasm and authenticity since 1936.