What is..."Made is Italy"

The typical drive through the Tuscany region reveals sprawling fields of sunflowers, terraced Chianti vineyards and medieval towers. But beyond the staple tourist spots, stretching from the valley to the sea, are hundreds of small leather factories and tanneries replete with skilled artisans who know the grains of leather like the backs of their hands-- and students of Polimoda are lucky enough to see this industry hands on.

From the tanneries that transform hides into leather for such names as Gucci, Sergio Rossi, Prada, Versace and Fendi to the small artisan laboratories that craft the leather into shoes and bags, Tuscany is a well-oiled production model and the backbone of Italy's fabled, multibillion-dollar leather industry. Sante Croce sull'Arno and Ponte a Egola, two small towns just outside Pisa and on opposite banks of the Arno River, are the crown jewels of Tuscany's tannery district. The area has a radius of less than eight miles, but packed into this water-rich land are some 400 tanneries.

Alexander McQueen order at Caravel

After prying our way through the luxury sectors surrounding Firenze, we were able to see that these same hills are where large fashion houses are cutting costs and quality at every opportunity i.e. PRADA and slowly killing the concepts that built the “Made in Italy” label.

The tanning process and patenting skins

We love to think that we get what we pay for, however, more and more companies are exploiting the “Made in Italy” label by outsourcing labor to countries like China. Goods labeled "Made in Italy" may well be made in sweatshops staffed by Chinese immigrants. To the few left, “Made in Italy” means tradition, know-how and standards. It means not only made in Italy, but also made in the Italian way. It is important for Italians to pass down their traditions and teach the younger generations the skills and know how, especially in a time where hand labor is not a sought after profession.

Hand antiquing crocodile skins at Caravel

The fate of “Made in Italy” ultimately rests with the consumers. We should get in the habit of testing our products, researching the brands, KNOWING what we are buying, and then fighting for the quality. The conglomerates know what they are doing; they are rich because it works. LVMH and Richmont rely on the fact that most luxury customers don’t care where or how something was made, only that the famous LV or double C logos are perfectly visible.

“Made in Italy” will certainly never die, but we need to keep the people informed and companies like IPlace, along with publications like Dana Thomas’ Deluxe are giving us a heads up into the very private lives of luxury’s elite and their business practices. Maybe the future of Italy lies with the nameless bag that is certified made in Italy, but then again, we are a society driven by status symbols.