Bel Paese: Italian entrepreneurs

Bel Paese

The tide turns once again. Until recently, the Italian business news was dominated by idle factories and cheap production by Chinese companies. However, hope is returning. This is the return of entrepreneurs willing to invest despite stagnation, run their respective businesses dynamically, and prepare for the upturn that seems so logical. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold, Kay Alexander Plonka, Nicoletta Schaper. Illustration: Claudia Meitert @Caroline Seidler

The image of “Made in Italy” remains strong. If one thinks about European fashion, one needs to include Italian competence. Design, manufacturing, and processing - Italy is the undisputed industry leader in many disciplines. Is it really a surprise that positive company results - oh yes, they exist - are always driven by passionate businessmen? While some giants of the Italian fashion industry are stumbling, struggling with tax scandals, and battling declining share prices, many medium-sized companies have proved to be recession-proof. Reacting to market changes meant that these companies had to concentrate on exporting unconditionally and finally accept that the clocks tick differently elsewhere. This may not have prompted anyone to remove the “Ferragosto” closing times from the calendar just yet, but both agencies and customers who have dealt with Italian companies for a long time confirm that the export business has undergone a professionalization process. Exchanges, returns, payment terms with discounts, a move away from “rubber deadlines”, a reliable warehouse programme, B2B portals, and reorder options - one no longer has to remind Italian business partners of the textbook for joint success. style in progress sat down for a chat with a number of Italian entrepreneurs and learned a lot about the strengths of those who managed to turn necessity into their virtue. These companies have positioned themselves perfectly in the niche and never tire of adapting their products to the challenges of our time and general market conditions. However, they have never lost sight of the necessary “Italianitá”.