High fashion e low impact environmental. It is on these criteria that Fendi, since 2001 belonging to the French luxury group lvmh, has inaugurated the new plant for the leather processing near Florence, which when fully operational will give work to approx 700 employees.
For the new factory Fendi Factory with 30 thousand square meters of which 13.000 covered and 3.500 covered by solar panels, have been 50 million invested, the highest ever made by the Lvmh group in Italy for a manufacturer.
In Fendi Factory of Capannuccia, in the Municipality of Bath in Ripoli, directed by Giulia Cellie, there are already 400 workers: 370 come from the old headquarters in Ponte a Ema, 30 are new. But another 300 will be hired in three years, up to 700.
The hub of international brands expands in Tuscany
A Bridge to Ema in about two years of work it will take turns instead Givenchy which joins the new entries of international leather brands in the area: da Céline in San Polo, Balenciaga a Cerreto Guidi and soon too Yves Saint Laurent at the former Palazzaccio of Scandicci.
The opening came almost at the same time as the launch of the new edition of Special Days (Jp) (October 14-16), with which Lvmh promotes the know-how of its craftsmen, which is back after a four-year hiatus. “We waited for the right moment, because we couldn't organize the Journées either online or remotely – he explains Antoine Arnault, communication and environment manager of Lvmh, who attended the ribbon cutting -. The sense of the initiative is to allow people to see and touch up close what our craftsmen can do”.
The 3500 square meters of the Brunelleschi furnace have been recovered
La Fendi Factory was born on the ashes of history Brunelleschi furnace, once a producer of tile, then abandoned to decay between cement, eternit and illegal rave parties for almost 30 years and definitively demolished in 2019, just after the acquisition of the site by the French group.
Thanks to green technologies that have been used, the plant expects to obtain by 2023 the Leed Paltinum certification, a program that certifies the performance of buildings in key sectors, such as energy and water savings, the reduction of CO2 emissions, the improvement of the ecological quality of interiors. For the furnishings have been reused stock skins as well as upholstered furniture that has been given a second life.
Reuse, recovery and savings among the objectives
“In recent years we have understood that we must realistically pursue our sustainability goals” says Arnault, “and that we must be transparent and honest about the results. In the Life 360 program of Lvmh, for example, we have achieved some results in advance, while in others we are late». In addition to the climate, however, the world today is also concerned by a serious geopolitical crisis and its consequences, linked above all to energy costs. Even Lvmh, which closed the third quarter of 2022 with a 19% increase in sales, is addressing the problem: “We recently launched a energy saving plan, says Arnault, who foresees it premature switching off of the lights of the shops and exchanges of temperature within one degree. We are thus able to reduce consumption 10-15%, that's not a small amount”.
Fendi Factory: Also a center for training young artisans
The new Fendi Factory in Tuscany it will also be an important center for the training dthe young craftsmen of leather goods. “We have just launched a new masterclass dedicated to leather goods with Its in Scandicci, as part of the Altagamma “Adopt a School” programme, which demonstrates how crucial the training of new artisans is for us, he says Serge Brunschwig, president and CEO of Fendi, “and we have already seen an increase in the interest of students and their families in what we do here. A change of pace is needed: the luxury industry is fundamental for Italy, but the country must invest more in its future, as is done in Germany and France”.
The building is integrated with the greenery of the surrounding area and also has a olive grove from 700 plants to produce 900 liters of oil a year. Fendi has also created and donated a public park in front of the kindergarten with play areas and a biodiversity guaranteed by native plants. The mayor of Bagno a Ripoli, Francesco Casini, announced for the end of 2023 thevariant opening to reach Capannuccia avoiding Grassina: “The new factory will be an engine for the economy”.
