Franz Kraler, Dobbiaco – Cortina - Bolzano
2023: A Year Full of Emotions
2023 is proving to be a year filled with satisfaction and international commitments for FK, the acronym now recognized to identify both the Franz Kraler family, an entrepreneur from South Tyrol with an international vocation, and the most important fashion hub in the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.
This year continues a more than thirty-year journey of growth, which in the last ten years has seen Franz Kraler increasingly become a key player on the glamorous scene of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Dobbiaco, and now Bolzano.
Supported by the most famous and iconic international brands, the Kraler family has significantly contributed to the consolidation of the area's fame, and this year, the bond with the territory remains strong.
Last winter, from December 8 to 10, the southern side of the Tofane was lit up with the colors of Valentino's autumn-winter collection, with the Ria de Saco refuge, owned by the Kraler family, transformed for the occasion into a fashion hub during the event Valentino The Party Collection, held in parallel with the exclusive cocktail inside the Franz Kraler boutique at Corso Italia 119/127 during Cortina Fashion Week.
Furthermore, on March 10, the multibrand store at Corso Italia 119 in Cortina hosted the Italian launch of the historic magazine Harper’s Bazaar, already present in 44 countries with 29 editions, now including Italy and France, through a photo exhibition featuring 25 international covers of Harper’s Bazaar from 1940 to today, offering a long account of the history of the world's oldest fashion magazine, with its 155 years of existence.
March also saw FK as a key player on the international scene, this time with the tenth edition of the WinterRace 2023, a regularity race for 25 vintage cars and 25 prestigious vehicles representing 12 iconic automotive brands. The race took place from March 10 to 11, covering two stages that started and ended in Cortina, taking participants to the most significant places in the Dolomites and across the Alps, with a mandatory stop at the luxury cathedral of Franz Kraler in Dobbiaco, known as "the castle," and the outbuilding of the famous Grand Hotel Dobbiaco, once the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph.
The challenge launched by the Kraler family to the world of luxury continued in the spring with the special and highly anticipated inauguration on April 13 of the new store in Bolzano at Via Della Mostra 1, overlooking the central Piazza Walther and housed in the historic princely context of Palais Campofranco, which belonged to the Habsburg-Lorraine family and is now owned by Count Georg von Kuenburg.
This challenge continues, transcending the world of fashion to combine style with sustainability, thanks to a partnership with the event Mons-discover nature, promoted by the Michelin-starred South Tyrolean chef Chris Oberhammer. Four stages between South Tyrol, Trentino, and Lombardy to reaffirm the values of sustainability, local identity, respect, honesty, and awareness as a lifestyle, supported by the patron of Tilia Restaurant in Dobbiaco and embraced by Daniela, Franz, and Alex. Between June and October 2023, four events, each spanning several days, will combine healthy walks in nature with gourmet breaks, exclusively presented at Franz Kraler's castle in Dobbiaco on May 23 and in Cortina on June 11 with an invitation-only event and aperitif curated by chef Oberhammer.
Franz Kraler's summer continues with two key events in Cortina: Design Week, scheduled for early July, during which the multibrand store at Corso Italia 119/127 will host prestigious design objects, and the Summer Party, which at the end of August has been bringing together the elite of Ampezzo tourism on the Socrepes meadows for years, at a refuge just above Baita Ria de Saco, where Tyrolean style meets the excellence of Dolomite cuisine in a celebration of taste, glamour, and music.
The interiors of FK stores will also be the stars of events dedicated to the world of men’s fashion, tailoring, and international style in the summer of 2023, with unique and coveted appointments, as only the warm hospitality of Daniela, Franz, and Alex can guarantee.
But there's already a glimpse of autumn, with Daniela Kraler's participation in the Luxury Hospitality Conference, the first event in Italy dedicated to luxury in the hospitality sector, which will be held in Milan on September 28 and will serve as a springboard for the subsequent events that will illuminate the international scene from Cortina during the next winter season, just two years before the much-anticipated Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics.
