Where Italy’s Family-Run Factories Go From Here
For the ancestral footwear factories that dot Italy’s eastern coast, March is one of the busiest months. Not only do these four weeks arrive smackdab in the middle of manufacturers’ enormous spring deliveries, they also usher in the lucrative resort season, too. So as the Northern Hemisphere begins its annual defrost, Italy’s family-run operations are shuttling their lush silks and buttery insoles across the globe for you to wear all summer long. Last March was a different story. With a pandemic on the rise, Italy became the first western country to implement a national lockdown. Suddenly, everyday gathering places like restaurants, bars and shops were closed for the foreseeable future — and so were the factories that, in some cases, employ the better part of entire towns. By May, these factories were in real, grave danger of closing for good. Read more at Fashionista.
