Fashion, an Italian success story

Professor Giovanna Franci retells history of fashion at Istituto Italiano di Cultura

Italian fashion and Chinese threats to it were the main focus of a lecture given last week by Giovanna Franci - a teacher at the University of Bologna - at Istituto Italiano di Cultura. Globalization, she said, is rapidly changing the face of this industry, from production systems to marketing strategies. The changes concern both the protagonists of this industry and the framework surrounding them. Can we still talk of 'Made in Italy'?
"In order to answer this question," argued Prof. Franci in a crowded room, "we should go back to the origin, when the term was coined. On February 12, 1951, the first Italian high fashion show took place in a private home in Florence. Given the times, this was nothing short of miraculous: Europe had just come out of the tragedy of World War II, and reconstruction was still underway. Giovan Battista Giorgini conceived an event that could attract the attention of North American customers. He succeeded, and the following year an even bigger event was organized at Palazzo Pitti. Made in Italy fashion was born."
Those were the times of great ateliers, of Emilio Schubert and his romantic and sensual models, of the Fontana sisters, of Emilio Pucci's colours and patterns, and of Dolce Vita.
"Fashion met cinema and the match was perfect. Not far south of Florence, on the banks of river Tiber, an all-Italian Hollywood was being created. Big screen stars wore dresses designed by Italian masters. Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida became symbols of Italian beauty and taste, and brought this image all over the world. It was a success."
Real triumph, however, would still take some time: the Eighties, when the Big Four (Armani, Ferrè, Valentino and Versace) took the international scene by storm with their lines. "Creativity and technique merged," continued Giovanna Franci; "the discovery of new materials and the designs of these brands propelled Made in Italy fashion to the top of consumers' taste. Giorgio Armani reinvented jackets, Versace's style was a sublimation of bodies. Ferrè gave his lines a martial rigour, and Valentino Red became a legend."
The new century has begun under the sign of a crisis that has jeopardized one of the leading sectors of Italian economy. There are margins for recovery, although Franci could not hide a touch of pessimism.
"Let's take Emilia Romagna for instance," she said. "I live there. Many young people have launched on successful careers in the fashion industry. In Parma, Matteo Campi has launched the Guru grand. In Modena there is Easy; in Reggio Emilia Max Mara, which is winning international accolades."
Unfortunately, success stories are counterbalanced by setbacks in the same region. The crisis at La Perla could lead to the loss of 300 jobs; the Carpi industrial district is a shadow of what it once was; and this Emilia town has been coping with an identity crisis for years.
Is China to be blamed? Possibly, but the advantages that globalization brought to Italy's fashion industry are undisputable. Maybe, then, a part of the blame lies also in the parochial mindset displayed by many managers in facing the changing times.

Publication Date: 2006-03-26
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=6106