On Tuesday, Vogue World: Milano will take over Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to celebrate Italian craftsmanship on the world stage. It’s a profound moment to reflect on Made in Italy and reinforce fashion’s commitment to craft. In the age of AI and mass manufacturing, products that are forged by hand, honoring artisanal crafts passed down through generations, are a differentiator. Unsurprisingly, craft is quickly becoming luxury’s most valuable currency.
Ahead of the event, Vogue Business spoke with some of the artisans behind luxury fashion’s most storied labels — from an expert pattern-maker to a shoemaker who learned everything he knows from his father — to understand how they got into the industry and how to preserve the know-how of craftsmanship. Meet the makers:
Alessio Berto, founder of The Tailor Pattern Support
Daniele Zaramella, head of research and development at Reda
Ambra Lucidi, an Umbrian artisan and custodian of Italian handcraft traditions that are increasingly rare, including hand-painted textiles, embroidery and hand-knitted garments that can require more than 250 hours of work
Massimo Pelagotti, technical director at French footwear brand Nomasei and second-generation owner of Tuscan shoe manufacturer Calzaturificio Everyn
Roberto de Ambrogia, head of fabric production development at Lanificio Piacenza
Giorgio Bandoni, head of the fulling and finishing department at wool finishing company Penta-Rif, which is part of the Cangioli Group (Lanificio Cangioli 1859)
Dr Haram Sidibé, a UN textile expert helping major brands include ethical and historical African textile in their collections
Andrea Belli, co-founder of Prato-based warping company GT2000
The responses below have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Founder of The Tailor Pattern Support
What does a day in your life look like?
My task as pattern-maker is to receive a photo or drawing — and sometimes specific measurements — and create a digital pattern that is consistent with the expectations of the brand. It has to be industrializable and reproducible, and I need to reach the final version with as few prototypes as possible. It requires sensitivity, culture and a knowledge of materials, workmanship and product.
My days are very intense and stimulating. Depending on the period, I go from coordinating a pattern-making room of 15 people at an important company, to the creation of patterns for emerging brands, to teaching university students at two Milanese design schools: Domus Academy and the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA). I decided to become a teacher to transfer my knowledge to the next generation.
How has Made in Italy changed since you started?
I started at the age of 17, when I took a men’s pattern-making course, and next year, I will celebrate 40 years. I’ve been lucky enough to work for many of the designers who were my idols when I was a student: Jean Paul Gaultier, Katharine Hamnett and Andrew Mackenzie, among others.
The Made in Italy I experienced before globalization was not only made on Italian soil, but made from a series of skills, quality materials, excellent manufacturing even in small laboratories, and serious know-how from professionals with different sensitivities. Today, companies must be very competitive, so they have to be streamlined, cut unnecessary bureaucracy, and employ very knowledgeable and reliable people.
My profession is constantly evolving thanks to new technologies, new materials and new fibers that require special attention. The new generation of designers is also very different.
But that’s my favorite part of the job: you can never take anything for granted. A pattern you make for one brand or one customer may not work for another.
The fabrics and manufacturing both affect the final result, and then there is the expectation of the designer to consider, which is deeply personal and different from all the others. There are so many variables that each day is like the first one.
Head of research and development at Reda
How did you get into your profession?
I started at Reda in 1999, right after university, working on industrial and technical challenges. Then, I helped establish an in-house analytical laboratory and supported its evolution into a fully fledged research & development (R&D) department.
Our work starts with a desire to understand wool more deeply and unlock the extraordinary qualities it naturally possesses, constantly exploring new ways to enhance its performance, functionality and applications. We have introduced digital printing, experimented with new surface treatments, and studied how an individual fiber responds to cold, heat, humidity, impact, and movement.
Some paths have taken us exactly where we hoped to go. Others have led us somewhere unexpected.
Every one of them has taught us something.
How has it changed since you started?
When I started 25 years ago, the focus was primarily on technology, processes, and product quality: understanding the material, learning how it behaves, addressing a challenge, and finding a solution. Over time, I have come to understand that innovation is about continuing to ask questions, challenging what we think we already know, and remaining curious enough to look beyond our own area of expertise.
After all, if tradition is to have a future, it must continue to evolve.
The role of research within the company has also evolved significantly over the years. It is no longer simply where we look for answers to technical questions; it has become a space where we can imagine what comes next.
It means anticipating needs that may not yet be obvious, exploring new possibilities and turning knowledge and intuition into tangible opportunities. That is probably what continues to inspire me most: knowing that there will always be something new to learn.
And the constant movement between the microscopic and the big picture means there is very little chance of me getting bored.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Taking an intuition and doing everything I can to turn it into something real. Having a good idea is only the beginning. Watching a project take shape, working through each technical challenge, and eventually seeing it become an industrially viable product is incredibly rewarding.
An Umbrian artisan and custodian of Italian handcraft traditions that are increasingly rare, including hand-painted textiles, embroidery, and hand-knitted garments that can require more than 250 hours of work
What is your proudest career achievement so far?
My collaboration with Stella Jean gave me the opportunity to experiment extensively. Working with her, I believe I’ve created practically everything: from patterns and textile print designs to hand-knits and embroidery, as well as costume jewelry and accessories. She constantly challenges me, allowing me to learn and engage with a wide variety of techniques and craftsmanship styles.
Over the years, we have worked on many projects that brought me great satisfaction. Among the most recent is the collaboration to create the uniforms for the Haitian team for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
It was a project that really put me to the test, due to both the tight deadlines and the complexity of the craftsmanship involved. Despite all the challenges, I still find my work fascinating today.
If I could go back, I would choose this path all over again.
How has Made in Italy changed since you started?
Made in Italy has always been synonymous with excellence, and Italian artisans possess extraordinary tradition and expertise. It is a great shame to see more and more production shifting to other countries, especially given that it is difficult to remain cost-competitive in Italy today and, in our sector, increasingly hard to find skilled labor.
I believe it is crucial to provide greater support for businesses and craftsmanship by investing in training and creating the conditions necessary for these skills to be passed on to future generations. Otherwise, we risk losing a heritage that is integral to our history and identity.
Technical director at French footwear brand Nomasei and second-generation owner of Tuscan shoe manufacturer Calzaturificio Everyn
What is your craft and how long have you been honing it?
I own Calzaturificio Everyn, a shoe manufacturer based in Tuscany that produces high-end women’s shoes for the brand Nomasei. I am also a figlio d'arte [son of art]. My father spent his life in the footwear industry and passed this factory down to me as his legacy. I have been honing my craft for 20 years.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Being fully autonomous in every production phase allows me to oversee the entire workflow, from the arrival of raw materials to the final quality control. I spend most of my time on the factory floor, working side-by-side with our artisans to solve technical challenges and ensure that every pair of shoes meets our rigorous standards.
My favorite part is the moment of fulfillment: seeing a client completely satisfied with the final product. Every single shoe that leaves our factory is the result of more than 100 skilled, artisanal hands working in harmony.
Knowing that our shared effort, dedication, and precision have materialized into a beautiful, perfect product that makes someone proud to wear it is the ultimate reward.
How are you working to future-proof the Made in Italy label?
To me, Made in Italy is not just a label; it’s the collective power, knowledge, and passion of the artisans. To protect this heritage in the future, our biggest challenge and project is preserving our deep-rooted know-how and traditional craftsmanship, ensuring we successfully transfer this invaluable heritage to the younger generations.
We must also educate the consumer, so they can truly appreciate that, behind every luxury shoe, there is a community of people and a heritage of knowledge that cannot be replicated by machines.
What I am most proud of in my career is not a particular shoe or collection, but having managed to remain faithful to the values that have always guided the way I work: respect for the people who work with me, for our suppliers, and for everyone involved in the supply chain.
Head of fabric production development at Lanificio Piacenza
How has Made in Italy changed since you started?
Since 2017, I have been the head of fabric production development at Lanificio Piacenza, overseeing the women’s, men’s, and accessories fabric collection. I reached this position through the professional training and development path that the company offered me from the very day I joined in 1995.
When the company’s core business shifted towards serving luxury fashion houses worldwide, I had to rethink the way I approached my profession. It was no longer simply a matter of designing fabrics.
I also had to help organize the company in such a way that we could produce them within much shorter timeframes than we had previously been accustomed to. This was the point at which my role within the company took on a much stronger managerial dimension.
What does Made in Italy mean to you?
Fashion simply could not exist without Italians. One only has to think of defining periods in our history such as Humanism and the Renaissance.
Made in Italy is the result of the way in which we express this cultural heritage through the creation of products that embody a unique and inimitable lifestyle. We continue to commit ourselves to building and running businesses because we want to create prosperity in our local communities for future generations, ensuring that our identity is not lost.
We do this through products that are the result of our know-how, passed down from one generation to the next. Reminding ourselves of this ‘why’ every day, and remaining conscious of who we are and of what we will never be, is the best way to protect Made in Italy.
Head of the fulling and finishing department at wool finishing company Penta-Rif, which is part of the Cangioli Group (Lanificio Cangioli 1859)
How did you hone your craft?
I have been doing this job for 41 years now. In 1985, I started working at a fulling mill in Campi Bisenzio after studying at a technical institute specializing in tourism.
I knew practically nothing about the textile industry. Like all young apprentices at the time, I began my training on the squeezing machine, then laying and folding the fabric.
Eventually, I moved on to the purga-panni [fabric scouring], followed by the purga-folla [where wool is chemically washed, then beaten with heavy wooden mallets to shrink, thicken and mat the fibers], and then to the individual fulling machines, which at the time represented the highest ambition for someone working as a fuller. I took on my first real management responsibility in 2010, after many years of paying my dues.
What does a day in your life look like?
I start work around 7am and organize the day by coordinating with the different departments I work with – particularly dyeing and finishing. I also personally oversee the processing of samples, working together with the technicians from the companies we collaborate with, with the aim of developing a product that is as close as possible to what the customer has requested.
I feel particularly fulfilled when I manage to create a fabric sample with a customer that we are both happy with. This is where the hands-on, artisanal side of my work really comes through: creating a product that requires particular care, knowledge and method, and that cannot easily be replicated.
How are you working to future-proof the Made in Italy label?
There is an increasing need for skilled and well-trained operators, so we recently brought some young people into the department, and they are developing professionally in a very positive way. I’m dedicating a lot of time to them, trying to pass on my tireless passion for this work day after day.
I’m trying to teach them how to operate all the different machines, because there’s much more to the fulling department than just the fulling machines: there are the purghi, the cuci-sacco, the fabric folder, and so on. The goal is for them to develop a complete, 360-degree understanding of the whole department.
I want them to understand that being a fuller is a great profession and that it still offers excellent career opportunities today.
A UN textile expert helping major Italian brands connect with global artisans to include ethical and historical African textiles in their collections
Where do the artisans you work with fit into the Made in Italy ecosystem?
The women I work with preserve complex textile knowledge: cultivation, transformation of cotton, weaving, natural dyeing techniques, and artisanal processes transmitted from generation to generation. They create rare and beautiful textiles through extremely demanding processes, often in fragile ecosystems where resources — particularly water — are limited and where competition between daily needs and productive activities is a constant reality.
Today, highly sophisticated communication tools and storytelling strategies are often used by brands, institutions, and organizations to present social, environmental, and fair-trade impacts. While these narratives can create visibility, they must always remain connected to measurable realities and to the genuine empowerment of the communities involved.
The greatest risk is that the artisan woman becomes transformed into an image, while her knowledge, identity and intellectual contribution remain invisible.
How can fashion promote craftsmanship without exploiting craftspeople?
Many artisans operate within what is often called the informal economy, although in many African contexts it is one of the main economic forces supporting families and communities. Some of these artisans are even excluded from formal recognition, sometimes without birth certificates or official identity documents, despite holding invaluable cultural knowledge.
However, these productions remain fundamentally different from industrial textiles. Their value cannot be measured only through quantity or speed.
The time required, the mastery involved, and the environmental responsibility embedded in these processes are often not reflected in their final economic value. The beauty and excellence associated with Italian fashion cannot coexist with the exploitation of artisans — whether in Italy or abroad — or with environmental destruction.
Co-founder of Prato-based warping company GT2000
How did you hone your craft, and how do you practice it today?
I was born in 1949. Until 1972, I worked in a textile mill with my older brother, Augusto.
When he passed away, I left my job and put a very small warping machine in my home, which I ran with my sister. We grew gradually, and now we have around thirty people contributing every day.
Over the last 50 years, practically everything has changed, both in terms of our products and our markets. Until about 20 years ago, our market was exclusively local.
I have overcome some very challenging situations over the years. In July, a fire that started in my neighbor’s warehouse completely devastated my company, wiping out 50 years of history.
Being able to start again, perhaps even stronger than before, and to continue innovating in the area of textiles that I have always focused on and pursued — warping — is a great source of pride for me. Today, my focus extends beyond the city and the region, and I am also gaining experience in international markets.
What has that experience taught you about the values of Made in Italy?
That it is possible — and desirable — to build a stronger supply chain through collaboration. If we work together, we can be more effective, more productive and more profitable.
We can do things that would be very difficult to achieve on our own: research, investment, optimization and a better understanding of markets beyond our own region. I want to thank all the people who have shown me their support and given me the strength to keep going.
Now, I feel even more strongly that we need to build a stronger supply chain, because the alternative is to risk being wiped out.