"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Luigi Speca, the former owner of Malabar Ltd. Luigi was a master tailor at Malabar in the 1950s when he had the vision of costuming opera. He created this iconic costume collection, first for the Canadian Opera Company and later for companies throughout North America. At one point or another, his costumes have been on every opera stage on the continent. He was a superb craftsman and built up an unrivaled collection that was worn by every major opera star.
Howard Tsvi Kaplan, our resident costume designer, had known him for over 30 years when Luigi suggested that Sarasota Opera might be the perfect home for his costumes after his retirement. As I got to know him better, I realized the pride he had in his collection and felt honored that he would entrust them to Sarasota Opera.
We are pay tribute to this extraordinary man and are proud that his legacy will continue to be used by opera, theater, and film companies across the globe."
- Richard Russell, General Director, Sarasota Opera
