The strength of the classic. It is not necessary to chase the trends of the moment to establish a product. This is demonstrated by the success of Bolognese brand Biagini, which for over 50 years has relied on fine leathers and meticulous workmanship to create timeless accessories. Silvano Biagini founded the brand in 1968. It was then acquired in 1999 by the Amidei family, its manufacturing partner.
“A family story” as they call it: Alberto Amidei, the company’s founder, oversees production. His wife Enza is in charge of quality control. Their three children also work in the company. In 2021, a young management team was brought in. Valentina Amidei is responsible for the development of the women’s collection. Elisa is in charge of business and commercial management. While Luca manages the small leather goods department and the development of the men’s collection. We met Valentina (pictured) at Pitti Uomo 102, where Biagini was exhibiting the men’s proposals.
Who needs to chase trends?
“These last few pandemic years have been tough, but we have resisted and this resilience has allowed us to maintain our product quality level,” Valentina Amidei explains. “A constancy that led us to increase work at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022”. Pre-Covid levels? “We are still far from pre-Covid numbers. We have three or four months of lost turnover to make up for”. But the time has been used to renew the company. In 2022, a rebranding took place, which became just Biagini (no longer Biagini 1968).
Leather on top
Biagini’s strong points are undoubtedly the quality of the materials and the attention to detail. At Pitti Uomo 102, the Amidei family brought only part of its wide range of accessories, the production of which takes place entirely in Modena. “We also have a lot of small leather goods that only a few now produce in-house and which are very much appreciated,” continues the entrepreneur. “For this men’s collection, we have focused on the combination of canvas and crocodile, on our python bags, for which we have always been known, and on accessories in painted crust leather”.
From bags to hats
“We work mainly with foreign countries (particularly Korea, Japan and America) but also with Italy,” explains Valentina Amidei. “We have a varied range of products, also in terms of price. So not only crocodile and python leather, but also greased calfskin and deerskin, for bags, backpacks, belts, wallets and even hats with leather inserts and soft silk lining“.
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