When many of us consider Italian high-end brands, we imagine luxurious silks, wools, leathers, and furs — quintessential Italian opulence. It’s precisely this affiliation that makes Massimo Osti’s two clothing labels such fascinating anomalies. Few luxury clothing brands have created a sneaker as compelling because the aptly named Marni’s Sneaker (even when it does borrow pretty heavily from a certain adidas EQT silhouette).

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Historically, a high proportion of luxury style merchandise were sold by legacy department stores. In the relationship between the retailer and the brand, there have been all the time a number of tensions. Fundamentally, the store managed the access to the consumer, supplied competing brands and controlled or influenced pricing, marketing and placement. In that relationship, Amazon replaces the department retailer and the tensions between the two haven’t disappeared. Because of Amazon’s dimension, it has monumental market power that presents a challenge to manufacturers.…