Its name is Buzzi, like the High School for Technicians and Industry, based in Prato, which houses it (the former name of the institute, founded in 1886, was “School for textile industries and dyeing plants”). The BuzziLab is a renowned analysis laboratory that oversees “quality and composition of textile fibres”, and hides as well. Over the years, it has become the most relevant lab for several brands and luxury fashion houses, in particular for the ones controlled by Kering group, such as Gucci. Well, they have suspended its activity for three months, starting from September 2. Reasons for that provision: the centre was doing too much work for “third parties”, rather than complying with its educational goals.
The measure
As reported by Il Tirreno and tvprato.it, newly appointed school manager Alessandro Martinelli imposed this measure. He recently replaced Erminio Serniotti, who retired. Such decision turns out to be, to some extent, kind of a “chemical upheaval” for textile and luxury accessories manufacturing districts, based in Tuscany (and in other places as well). Tuscany’s Regional School Office submitted the petition. They last sent a notice on August 14, yet they did not get any response. Consequently, they imposed a provisional stop, while striving “to pinpoint the right way to regulate – announced Martinelli while speaking to Il Tirreno – the legal status of the laboratory”.
Reasons
In fact, in their notice forwarded to Prato school, the Regional School Office highlighted the importance of taking “some actions to bring the lab work back to full regularity and legitimacy and, at the same time, to prevent any further projects implemented by the laboratory itself”. In other words, the work BuzziLab carried out acting like a private business player (in 2016, they did around 200,000 trials, 70% of which were chemical) caused to downsize its main educational aspect. Due to that measure, they suspended all of the lab activities. On top of that, remarked tvprato.it, “as stated in the document signed by headmaster Martinelli, who hints at a few laws, including, among others, the new accountancy and administration regulation, put in place by ministerial decree n.129, 2018, such provision will also concern negotiations, contracts and appointments, as much as any other deals related to the Buzzi Lab”. Therefore, all analysis and consultancy contracts are at risk. According to Il Tirreno, “some clients were puzzled after finding out about the temporary shutdown” and “immediately got in touch with other analysis centres to have their samples tested and achieve required quality check”.
