#backstage n.4 / Made in Italy, Made in Le Marche ;)

Today, as I was driving, I was thinking about what “Made in Italy” truly means. Yeah, on my usual trip between Milan and Montecosaro – 470 kilometres that I could drive with my eyes closed* – if I’m not on the phone, my mind wanders all over the place.

A few decades ago, when I decided to keep our production here in the Marche instead of moving it to the Far East (despite the significantly higher costs), I made a choice to be “Made in Italy”.

I don’t know if I fully realised it at the time, but I felt that betraying our local craftspeople would backfire. Financially, it was a challenging decision, but it’s one that I’ve never regretted. 

Why? Well, the Marche has a rich history of expertise in making footwear. Entire families once lived and worked under the same roof, with a workshop on the ground floor and living quarters on the first floor.

Over the years, the machinery has advanced, the families have grown, the workshops have got bigger, but the human relationships here still retain a sense of bygone times – and it’s not just a cliché, it’s the truth. We know each other well. We’ve been working together for years. We’re like one big family scattered across a handful of villages perched on the hills of the hinterland. 

How could I ever turn my back on all of this?