MILAN — Expect to see some Venetian heritage gear at Chez Ma Tante, somewhat of an institution in Greenpoint’s restaurant scene, and at Cueva, the hip neighboring multibrand men’s retailer.

Barena Venezia, the workwear-nodding Italian brand founded in 1993 by Sandro Zara, has teamed up with both companies to develop a capsule collection comprising an overshirt, pants and matching apron.

The brand will celebrate the collaboration on Friday night with a dinner at the Brooklyn eatery for selected guests, cementing its status as a niche heritage label for those in the know.

This is the first in a series of customer experiences Barena Venezia has planned to engage its global clients, and part of the strategy to expand its international awareness and reach.

The collaboration was masterminded by Davide Sambin Zara, one of the founder’s four children, who joined the company as chief commercial officer this month after accruing experience in the luxury sector as worldwide head of men’s wholesale at Tom Ford and later as senior director of wholesale and made to measure for North America at the Zegna brand.

His siblings, Francesca, Giovanni and Enrico Zara, already worked for the family-run company.

“It’s an immense honor for me to join my family’s business,” said Sambin Zara. “It represents a natural evolution of my career path… I’ve trained my muscle elsewhere and that helps me navigate the inner workings of a brand which, albeit smaller, has similar commercial dynamics,” he said.

Hinged on Venetian workwear, the brand launched almost three decades ago with a collection of aprons. It has developed into a full-fledged menswear brand, whose offering is rooted in what’s billed as the “anti-suit,” such as matching top and bottom with workwear and utilitarian inflections — think pleated pants with overshirts, baggy trousers and bomber jackets.

In 2008 the company introduced a womenswear collection.

Both are produced within miles of the company’s headquarters just outside Venice.

“Barena’s strength is its product, entirely Made in Italy, crafted from fabrics exclusively produced for us that are the result of intense research. These are prerogatives of the luxury world, but we try to keep our price tags accessible,” Sambin Zara said.

Largely wholesale-dependent, Barena Venezia is distributed through about 330 stores globally, mainly in Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. “We’ve been around for 32 years and have managed to tap into international markets, but there is still a lot of untapped potential, and our main objective is to raise brand awareness,” Sambin Zara offered.

For one, Sambin Zara said that the name Barena refers to land formations found in lagoons which are periodically submerged by tides. “It’s not the Venetian heritage of palaces and the Grand Canal, it’s all about the lagoon,” he noted.

Generating 10 percent of its business online, through a proprietary e-commerce site that is set to be revamped to ensure an enhanced customer experience, the brand is looking at expanding its direct-to-consumer footprints. Germany has emerged as a leading market in online sales.

After attending Pitti Uomo for several seasons — since the 2008 introduction of a womenswear line that now accounts for about 45 percent of sales — the brand moved to Paris, hosting showroom presentation in the French capital during fashion week. Barena Venezia drops four menswear collections a year and two women’s lineups.

In his consumer-centric vision, Sambin Zara said direct retail is in the pipeline, with plans to open the first store in two to three years.

“I think it’s an essential step in our future… we cannot wait too long, because it’s the only way to really offer an immersive experience of the brand. Our customers currently know Barena Venezia largely only through the selection our partner retailers display,” he offered.

A few cities are top of mind, including Milan, Paris and New York.

Asked about the impact of tariffs on forging ahead with the Stateside business, Sambin Zara said that having worked and lived in the U.S. gives him a different perspective.

“I have a very clear vision on how resilient a country like the U.S. can be, so I’m not too worried, although this climate of uncertainty is not helpful,” he said. “I also see the brand as positioned in the approachable luxury space, which I think and hope will be gaining steam against the slowdown in [pure] luxury spending.”

In 2024, Barena Venezia’s sales stood at 9 million euros and the company expects a 5 percent uptick in 2025.