I n s pi r i n g P eo p l e
WHAT’S THE STORY
“SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND” Lamberto Losani Cashmere is an exception in the sense that it produces exclusively in Italy. Lamberto Losani himself sat down with us for an interview to reflect on why Mongolian cashmere can be turned into an Italian product and how the craft can be prepared for the future. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold. Photos: Lamberto Losani Cashmere
You promise 100 percent “Made in Italy”. How difficult is it to find skilled production workers in Italy? Looking ahead to the next 100 years, we have recently started training skilled workers, who are becoming increasingly difficult to find. There’s a proverb that says: “Seek and you shall find.” However, one needs to add something very important to that particular adage. Those who have found, must understand how to encourage. One needs to search proactively, identify talents, and learn how to develop them with professionalism and passion. Manufacturing in Italy not only results in high quality levels, but also allows you to react flexibly to customer demands. You offer all pieces in many colours, retailers can reorder items, and you are capable of producing small batches. Is this the secret of your success? The term “Made in Italy” encompasses so much: the people, the environment, the culture of diversity. I could add to the list infinitely, but that would go beyond the scope of this interview. Just consider coffee, for example. Like cashmere, it’s not an original Italian product. It’s also a product that is in demand in many different forms, which requires creativity in manufacturing and expertise in production - both typical Italian qualities. Flexibility is the foundation of all these processes, and therefore we can proudly claim that flexibility is a contributor to our success. What steps would you take to help companies like yours if you found yourself at the helm of your government or the EU for a year? Whoa, that’s a big question! First and foremost, I would label companies like us, which really manufacture everything exclusively in Italy, differently. I would make such businesses distinguishable from those who merely cobble something together here in Italy utilising materials sourced from all over the place. Fortunately, customers are increasingly aware of what they’re buying, especially in terms of premium and luxury products. Sustainability has become a talking point. It’s a highly valid factor that needs to become more comprehensible. Nevertheless, all companies that produce in Italy are important for the country to ensure diversity. People would no longer implement manual labour, which is the heartbeat of our craftsmanship and manufactory heritage. This would
Lamberto Losani vouches for finest knitwear, processed exclusively in Italy, with his name.
Lamberto Losani Cashmere is visionary in the sense that it has adapted to changing clothing realities.
limit Italians to working digitally or merely pushing goods around in warehouses. This would be the death of our special talents and cause our human skills to wither. In our opinion, “Made in Italy” should describe a product that has been processed here to one hundred percent. This is, of course, a bottomless pit, as proven by the discussions that have flared up about icons of Italian production. The Parmigiano Reggiano is but one example. Implementing new rules for what is “Made in Italy” - and what’s not - is highly political! In Lamberto Losani’s case, it’s “D&D in Italy”, meaning “Designed & Done in Italy”. Your pre-collection is hugely successful. Tell us more about it… Yes. With its 40 percent contribution to revenue, it has proven very successful and we are keen to expand it further. The next pre-collection for S/S 2020 will be very ambitious. We are sure that it will be yet another great success. The new Lamberto Losani style is a hot topic. Why did you decide to change so much? Because we have an answer to changing lifestyles. This change also manifests itself in the wardrobe. www.lambertolosani.com style in progress
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