Editorial

What's in a name?

This year, Altagamma passed the presidency of the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) to Walpole. To celebrate, we asked Italy-based writer and 'Vogue' contributor Scarlett Conlon to explore why the 'Made in Italy' designation is of such cultural significance to the country’s luxury goods
10th Dec 2024
Editorial What's in a name?

Few things evoke as much pride in Italians or unite them with the passion for which it is preserved than the Made in Italy moniker. Italy stamping its name on something holds a gravitas that is unrivalled on the world stage. “Made in Italy is a metabrand that does so much more than indicate the geographic origin of a product,” says Stefania Lazzaroni, CEO of Altagamma, the cultural foundation that promotes Italy’s talents worldwide and lists luxury brands Prada, Poltrona Frau and The Gritti Palace among its members. The space they hold in the high-end sector makes them the best ambassadors of the moniker, she continues, standing not just for exceptional high quality but purveyors of strong cultural content, too. “This last feature underlines the unbreakable bond with Italy and its regions and with an aesthetic that is generally recognised as the Italian lifestyle,” adds Lazzaroni.

Representing 115 brands from seven industries – including fashion, design, jewellery, food, hospitality, automotive and yacht-building – Altagamma is the beating heart of promoting and preserving the Made in Italy metabrand, and over the past decade has seen its popularity soar.

As well as Italian-made brands enjoying international success in new markets, in a post-Covid era “the intrinsic quality of the Italian touch – authenticity, empathy, a warm-hearted approach to life – has gained momentum,” says Lazzaroni. With Altagamma’s members supporting communities where their production was based throughout the pandemic, “it was made even more clear that Made in Italy stands for a specific aesthetic, but also a strong ethical approach towards people and the environment”.

Illustration by Anna Higgie

And it’s not just a matter of pride. The funds that Made in Italy brands in the luxury sector inject into the Italian economy currently accounts for 7.4 per cent of the national GDP and generates approximately 1,922,000 jobs.

“It has always been essential to protect the strict criteria of Made in Italy, but this is now even more relevant,” explains Lazzaroni, highlighting the growing phenomenon of counterfeiting as an increasing and serious threat to its future growth. Indeed, a study carried out by the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) found that the clothing industry alone lost almost €12bn in annual sales between 2018 and 2021 because of fake goods.

As a result, futureproofing the Made in Italy metabrand is of increasing importance. A recent survey by Altagamma reported that by 2026, Italy will need 346,000 workers across the high-end sector but only 50 per cent of jobs will be filled unless there are new-generation experts in the space. To encourage these pathways, the foundation is currently in its third edition of its Adopt a School initiative, which has partnered 33 luxury brands including Fendi, Bulgari and Gucci with 38 vocational schools across 11 Italian regions to create programmes that exalt the importance and value of manufacturing jobs.

“Manufacturing know-how is at the heart of Italian-made excellence and represents a resource that needs to be safeguarded, promoted and handed down to future generations,” said Altagamma Chairman Matteo Lunelli as he announced the new programme in January. “With [this project], we want to send a strong message to families encouraging them to take these careers into consideration.”

It seems Altagamma helping to secure Italian excellence for future generations. Viva Made in Italy!

> To learn more about ECCIA's work, visit eccia.eu

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