The Italian Fur Association is part of Confindustria Moda (Italian Fashion Industry Federation).
On May 15 in Milan the new office of Confindustria Moda was inaugurated inside the building of historic fashion house NICKY, in via Villa Santa 3 founded in the 40s by Nicky Chini who made her home in a part of the building.
An article in the review “Domus” 1941 referred to the architecture of the establishment/ home of NICKY begun thus: “So who will win in this strange union? The architecture of the villa, or that of the establishment?”.
I would say that the winner is Nicky Chini who, choosing the young creativity of two new graduates like the architects Giuseppe Caldera and Tito Bassanesi Varisco, managed to fuse two opposed environments that according to the collective thought of the time, could not coexist.
The renovation and enhancements of the building was entrusted to Il Prisma that, through the characterization of the particulars inside a recurring pattern, creates spaces for the synergistic cohabiting of all the category associations that the federation hosts: Italian Association for Optical Article Producers, Shoe Industry Association, Italian Leather Goods Association, Italian Fashion System, Goldsmiths’ Federation, National Tanning Industry Union and the one that I am most fond of: the Italian Fur Association AIP.
When I heard about the move from the historic and magnificent site in Corso Venezia 38, where I used to spend my days immersed in the volumes of the mythical library that contains the whole collection of Anna Municchi enriched over the years by sector reviews, photographs, videos, cues, ideas and routes that make the history of this marvellous sector, I was a bit curious but at the same time almost frightened. Curious to see these new spaces on the fourth floor of a building that is just as historic; frightened by the idea of not finding any more that warmth that embraced by days in Corso Venezia 38.
It wasn’t at all like that.
Accompanied in my visit to the new offices and the new library by two exceptional guides, among the people I am most attached to in this sector, the President of Italian fur association Roberto Scarpella and Norberto Albertalli, President of Mifur the international fur salon that today is part of The One Milano, I immediately started looking around with the same happy, fascinated and proud expression that appears on my face every time I go home.
I have always thought that the quality of a person warms the places they work or live and today, once again I had the confirmation of how splendid the people that animate and make unique the fur world are.
According to the estimates elaborated by the Study Centre of Confindustria Moda (Italian Industrial Federation) the turnover of the sector in 2017 – that remember is composed of the products of all the aforementioned Associations – presents a growth of +3,2% and a commercial surplus with oversees of +7,9% compared to 2016.
Seeing the data, fur represents “only” l. 1% in the composition of the export of Confindustria Moda per sector in 2017 but, differently from other sectors, the Italian Fur Association AIP compared to all the others (Russian, English, American) is the most important in the world 🙂
Italy is fashion and fur. In Italy we have the best tanneries and most talented artisans, high fur laboratories and the most influential fashion and fur brands in the world.
Soon on my blog my interview with Elena Salvaneschi, General Secretary of The One Milano ex Mifur and founder of Sae Comunicazione Integrata.
