Between a Local Culture and the Global Market: A Conversation with Three Protagonists of the Italian Fashion System

It is widely believed that, although Italian fashion is in the midst of profound changes, it is restructuring itself, and that its very identity is changing, while at the same time it preserves a specific identity, which justifies the use of the “meta-brand,” so to speak, “Made in Italy.” We discussed this topic with three leading figures in the Italian fashion world. Bruno Cucinelli is one of the most important members of the new the new generation of business leaders. He is the founder of a company whose core business is cashmere garments. The company has been expanding for many years, and has reached considerable standing in the sector. Alessandro Fumagalli is a young freelance fashion designer of leather accessories (especially bags and footwear) who has been working for ten years for Italian brands within the luxury, ready-to-wear, and fast fashion sectors. Vittorio Linfante is currently coordinator of the design communication department at Marni, after having held the same position at Valentino. From their privileged vantage point, they showed us that Italian fashion can only be discussed and conceived today within a global framework where processes and products, and contents and meanings, are the result of the close relationship between what is traditionally Italian and the worldwide scale on which the products are marketed.