- Words by Tess van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe

Manuel BernaschekB次元官网网址檚 path to representing one of EuropeB次元官网网址檚 top luxury clothing brands and selling some of the most coveted pianos in the world isnB次元官网网址檛 what you might expect.

B次元官网网址淚 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!B次元官网网址� says Manuel, the rep for Stefano Ricci in Canada and the owner of Showcase Pianos. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 realize how much I liked interacting with people versus staring at a screen all day.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淎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,B次元官网网址� the 47-year-old explains. B次元官网网址淚f price was no object, what would it take to make the best piano in the world? ThatB次元官网网址檚 what Mr. FazioliB次元官网网址檚 goal was and theyB次元官网网址檙e used by top pianists.B次元官网网址�

Manuel asked his manager if they could bring Fazioli pianos to Vancouver, but was told it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be possible because the store was a Steinway piano dealer.

B次元官网网址淢y wife, Judy, and I talked about it and we decided we could bring the brand to Vancouver,B次元官网网址� Manuel says. B次元官网网址淲e opened up a shop in 2007 and a second location the next year, and the rest is history.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been big into tiesB次元官网网址攁s a salesperson I always wanted to have a tie that was a conversation pieceB次元官网网址攁nd I saw the most incredible ties in Italy. I was in love! My wife said, B次元官网网址榃hy would you get a tie that expensive?B次元官网网址� But for me, it was a work of art and I knew I had to bring the brand to Vancouver.B次元官网网址�

They opened their high-end Stefano Ricci clothing store exactly 10 years later, in 2017.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 actually a bit of crossover between the two because weB次元官网网址檙e meeting all sorts of fantastic families that are buying pianos and theyB次元官网网址檙e the type of people who arenB次元官网网址檛 swayed by popular opinion,B次元官网网址� Manuel says. B次元官网网址淭hey research and want the best, so thatB次元官网网址檚 how they find Stefano Ricci and Fazioli. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not the kind of people who want to be like everybody else.B次元官网网址�

Navigating the businesses through the first years of the pandemic wasnB次元官网网址檛 without its challengesB次元官网网址攅specially for the clothing store, which saw sales slump.

B次元官网网址淪ales were basically dead because people didnB次元官网网址檛 need new suits and accessories during that time,B次元官网网址� Manuel explains. B次元官网网址淏ut we came back with our B次元官网网址榤ade to measureB次元官网网址� events and thatB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淭hese are quite costly suits but theyB次元官网网址檙e the best,B次元官网网址� Manuel says. B次元官网网址淭hey start at $13,000 for a made-to-measure suit and they go up to $50,000B次元官网网址攁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.B次元官网网址�

Piano popularity actually surged during the pandemicB次元官网网址攕omething Manuel credits to people being stuck at home. Instead of travelling, they invested in pianos.

B次元官网网址淓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.B次元官网网址�

Manuel admits heB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚 wanted to partner with a friend, whoB次元官网网址檚 also a piano player, so weB次元官网网址檇 have shared responsibility and I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to be in the store seven days a week,B次元官网网址� he recounts. B次元官网网址淚 offered him 25 per cent of the businessB次元官网网址攅ven though he wasnB次元官网网址檛 putting any money inB次元官网网址攂ut he said a 50/50 partnership would be better, and turned me down when I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 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.B次元官网网址�

But the biggest lesson as an entrepreneur has been to not give up.

B次元官网网址淲e really have to work hard for everything, and for me to even survive to this point, itB次元官网网址檚 taken a series of almost endless miracles.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淚t took about 60 emails and phone calls to get a contact for the hotelB次元官网网址檚 general manager and I finally found out where their off-site office was during the construction, and I went there with goodies,B次元官网网址� Manuel says. B次元官网网址淚 could tell he was annoyed because he was trying to get rid of me the entire time and he said it wasnB次元官网网址檛 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, weB次元官网网址檙e very good friends with them and theyB次元官网网址檝e bought at least 26 pianos now for various properties. So, the moral of the story is, donB次元官网网址檛 give up!B次元官网网址�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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