- Words by Tess van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe
Manuel Bernaschek害羞草研究所檚 path to representing one of Europe害羞草研究所檚 top luxury clothing brands and selling some of the most coveted pianos in the world isn害羞草研究所檛 what you might expect.
害羞草研究所淚 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!害羞草研究所� says Manuel, the rep for Stefano Ricci in Canada and the owner of Showcase Pianos. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 realize how much I liked interacting with people versus staring at a screen all day.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淎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,害羞草研究所� the 47-year-old explains. 害羞草研究所淚f price was no object, what would it take to make the best piano in the world? That害羞草研究所檚 what Mr. Fazioli害羞草研究所檚 goal was and they害羞草研究所檙e used by top pianists.害羞草研究所�
Manuel asked his manager if they could bring Fazioli pianos to Vancouver, but was told it wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be possible because the store was a Steinway piano dealer.
害羞草研究所淢y wife, Judy, and I talked about it and we decided we could bring the brand to Vancouver,害羞草研究所� Manuel says. 害羞草研究所淲e opened up a shop in 2007 and a second location the next year, and the rest is history.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e always been big into ties害羞草研究所攁s a salesperson I always wanted to have a tie that was a conversation piece害羞草研究所攁nd I saw the most incredible ties in Italy. I was in love! My wife said, 害羞草研究所榃hy would you get a tie that expensive?害羞草研究所� But for me, it was a work of art and I knew I had to bring the brand to Vancouver.害羞草研究所�
They opened their high-end Stefano Ricci clothing store exactly 10 years later, in 2017.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 actually a bit of crossover between the two because we害羞草研究所檙e meeting all sorts of fantastic families that are buying pianos and they害羞草研究所檙e the type of people who aren害羞草研究所檛 swayed by popular opinion,害羞草研究所� Manuel says. 害羞草研究所淭hey research and want the best, so that害羞草研究所檚 how they find Stefano Ricci and Fazioli. They害羞草研究所檙e not the kind of people who want to be like everybody else.害羞草研究所�
Navigating the businesses through the first years of the pandemic wasn害羞草研究所檛 without its challenges害羞草研究所攅specially for the clothing store, which saw sales slump.
害羞草研究所淪ales were basically dead because people didn害羞草研究所檛 need new suits and accessories during that time,害羞草研究所� Manuel explains. 害羞草研究所淏ut we came back with our 害羞草研究所榤ade to measure害羞草研究所� events and that害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淭hese are quite costly suits but they害羞草研究所檙e the best,害羞草研究所� Manuel says. 害羞草研究所淭hey start at $13,000 for a made-to-measure suit and they go up to $50,000害羞草研究所攁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.害羞草研究所�
Piano popularity actually surged during the pandemic害羞草研究所攕omething Manuel credits to people being stuck at home. Instead of travelling, they invested in pianos.
害羞草研究所淓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.害羞草研究所�
Manuel admits he害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚 wanted to partner with a friend, who害羞草研究所檚 also a piano player, so we害羞草研究所檇 have shared responsibility and I wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have to be in the store seven days a week,害羞草研究所� he recounts. 害羞草研究所淚 offered him 25 per cent of the business害羞草研究所攅ven though he wasn害羞草研究所檛 putting any money in害羞草研究所攂ut he said a 50/50 partnership would be better, and turned me down when I wouldn害羞草研究所檛 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.害羞草研究所�
But the biggest lesson as an entrepreneur has been to not give up.
害羞草研究所淲e really have to work hard for everything, and for me to even survive to this point, it害羞草研究所檚 taken a series of almost endless miracles.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚t took about 60 emails and phone calls to get a contact for the hotel害羞草研究所檚 general manager and I finally found out where their off-site office was during the construction, and I went there with goodies,害羞草研究所� Manuel says. 害羞草研究所淚 could tell he was annoyed because he was trying to get rid of me the entire time and he said it wasn害羞草研究所檛 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, we害羞草研究所檙e very good friends with them and they害羞草研究所檝e bought at least 26 pianos now for various properties. So, the moral of the story is, don害羞草研究所檛 give up!害羞草研究所�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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