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abstract:Mpa Style proceeds with its journey among Italy’s centres of excellence concerning the footwear and fashion accessories industries.
From north to south, from Veneto to Campania: the next protagonist is the Grumo Nevano – Aversa district.
An area encompassing twenty-three municipalities, eight in Naples province and fifteen located in Caserta province: an entrepreneurial fabric featuring mainly semi-craft companies, whose products are designed for the mid to high-end and luxury segments, that have established their own brands or act as partners for either private labels or prominent fashion multinational corporations.
The pool of companies included in this special insert is just a sample, since the local network of small- and midsized firms is far wider. we are going to address that in the next issues.
A tour focused on the business cluster located between Naples and Caserta, an area boasting a long-standing tradition when it comes to the manufacturing of shoes and accessories for the most prominent fashion and luxury brands. This is one of the most interesting features of the Campania region and of its footwear entrepreneurial system A quality-driven and export-oriented philosophy: this is the distinctive trait of the Campania-based footwear district, a true benchmark for the leading international fashion houses.
Grumo Nevano
Campania accounts for 50% of Southern Italy’s footwear production and for 15% on a national level and it is one of Europe’s nine regions featuring the highest number of employees dealing with the making of shoes and leather goods. With 390 shoe factories and manufacturers of handmade, bespoke shoes, Campania is Italy’s fourth region when it comes to the number of enterprises and the fifth with regard to the number of workers (data 2018 InfoCamere-Movimprese, processed by Centro Studi Confindustria Moda).
The local shoe factories are based in specific, highly qualified areas. Recognized legally by means of the resolution number 59 issued by the Campania region in 1997, The Grumeno Nevano – Aversa district encompasses twenty-three municipalities, eight in Naples province (Arzano, Casandrino, Casavatore, Casoria, Frattamaggiore, Grumo Nevano, Melito di Napoli, Sant’Antimo) and fifteen in Caserta province (Aversa, Carinaro, Cesa, Frignano, Gricignano di Aversa, Lusciano, Orta di Atella, Parete, San Marcellino, San Tammaro, Sant’Arpino, Succivo, Teverola, Trentola Ducenta, Villa di Briano).
Aversa
Nowadays, the cluster is mainly located in the Neapolitan hinterland and in the so-called “Aversa citadel”, even though its roots are tightly linked to Grumo Nevano, a town boasting a well-established know-how and a long-standing expertise. A true footwear tradition spread in the Campania region in the first half of the XX century when, based on the craft-manufacturing model, the first shoe factories were founded in Grumo Nevano, Arzano, Casandrino, Casoria and in the Aversa area.
Given the increase in the national demand, the number of local enterprises markedly increased, especially between the ‘60s and the ‘80s. Craftsmen have been replaced by new work methods, thanks to the implementation of tools and equipment that sped up procedures: cobblers, specialized in the manufacturing of handmade “fascioni” – that is, men’s sandals proceeding from the Neapolitan area (in Naples, footwear craftsmanship has been thriving since XV century) – have made way for a semi-artisanal industrial philosophy and for products designed for the mid- to high-end segment. Between Arzano, an industrial area to the north of Naples, and Caserta, there is a district specialized in top-quality shoes, an excellence cluster that provides creations mainly conceived for male customers, made also on behalf of the most prominent fashion and luxury labels. In Naples alone, there are more than 150 firms operating in the footwear business, out of which approximately a quarter focuses solely on exports, manufacturing mid/high-end and luxury articles.
The timeless sneakers are grounded in this tradition as well. Therefore, the footwear as well as the textile-apparel branches play a key role for the Campania region. Tradition, skills, quality “made in Italy”, design, product and process innovation: these are the strengths and competitive factors, together with a lively and versatile manufacturing sector made up of small- and mid-sized enterprises, able to adjust swiftly to the ever-changing market. In the Grumo Nevano – Aversa district, firms cover the whole supply chain, thus making the sector self-sufficient and, consequently, succeeding in arousing the most prominent brands’ interest: this is the place where a large share of the shoes, components, finishes and leatherware accessories displayed during haute couture fashion shows are made.
Unfortunately, the lockdown has deeply affected the industry on a national level, because, as underlined by Siro Badon, Assocalzaturifici’s president, “unlike the textile branch, it had no chance to convert any production line, thus resulting in a more consistent loss in terms of turnover and order volumes compared to other firms in the fashion business.” 2020 did not start too well, giving rise to many concerns for the producers. The enterprises of one of the most pivotal sectors for the “made in Italy” label, including those based in Campania, now require the Government’s help when it comes to financial issues, taxes and export support.
Equally loved and despised for its historic nobility and for its recent disorganization, for the artistic heritage and for the social issues, for a cheerful, yet harsh character. Naples, the capital of the Mediterranean Sea. Colours, flavours, cultures: Arabic, Norman, Suevian, Angevin, Aragonese, Bourbon. All leaving their marks, in the streets, in the crowded alleys maze, in palaces hiding ample courtyards, in both majestic and small churches, in the beautiful gardens.
Castel dell’Ovo is one of Naples’ main tourist attractions. The imposing stone fortress located on the Megaride islet overlooks the city centre, the Gulf and the Vesuvius. According to ancient tales, the magical egg, hidden in the dungeons by the poet Virgil, will support both the city and the castle itself. The early structure, dating back to 1128 AD – used for many centuries as military outpost and seat of power -, was repeatedly modified until the restoration carried out in 1975: after that, it has become a location for exhibitions, conferences, meetings (in 2019, it hosted the sixth edition of the World Footwear Congress).
Castel dell’Ovo and the Borgo Marinari close by (few houses and a small square enlivened by the small port’s tourist activities) are connected to
the famous Santa Lucia district via an artificial isthmus. Santa Lucia as well, just like the rest of the city, was thoroughly renovated after the Italian Unification: today, the district host beautiful hotels, important buildings and the most renowned yacht clubs. An enchanting place portrayed in several famous movies and works of art
If Ischia is one of the most beloved destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists – mud baths, some of the most praised recipes in Southern Italy, a breath-taking landscape -, Capri stands at the top. To spend time in Capri is like taking a journey through time, surrounded by the colours and scents of oleanders, roses, bougainvillea, blue jasmines.
From the famous Umberto I “Square”, the core of the island and “the world’s salon”, you can take via de Le Botteghe, underneath the arches between the town hall and the Gran Caffè. You can reach the ancient centre of the fortified medieval citadel, walking through rows of high house featuring arches and buttresses dating back to the XIV century.
Via Fuorlovado, today housing stores and hotels, marked, as suggested by its name, the border between the medieval settlement and the rural area. And this is just the beginning. A special mention for the coast: jagged, with several caves and coves as well as sheer cliffs. The sandals designed by Paolo Ferrara perfectly embody Capri style: with their elegance and refined details, these models have won over women on the lookout for glamorous accessories.
The most fitting adjective is “majestic”. According to King Charles III’s wishes, the Royal Palace of Caserta was conceived to be on a par with
Versailles. Designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, the project started in 1751: it took twenty-two years to make 1200 rooms on five floors,
resulting in an overall surface of 45,000 square meters. Then, the spectacular Baroque stairway, the nineteenth-century throne room, the
decorations, paintings and sculptures. Behind the Palace, the gardens’ perspective rises delicately for over three kilometres, reaching the
waterfalls on the hill slopes.
Close by, there is the San Leucio village, renowned for the ancient silk tradition and included in the World Heritage Sites list.
With its amphitheatre, second only to the Colosseum in terms of size, Santa Maria Capua Vetere hosts the ancient Capua’s archaeological
museum, where to learn more about the city’s history, from the early stages to the splendour of the Samnite and Roman age, up to the post-
Roman decadence.
Among the ancient trades carried out in the past in Naples, a special mention goes to the so-called “solachianiello”. A term made up of the words “sola” (sole) and “chianiello” (a slipper-shaped model), “O solachianiello” was specialized in repairing shoes, a cobbler who worked both in his workshop and at his customer’s homes. His clientele included people who did not have enough money to buy new shoes and chose to have the old ones repaired as much as possible and quickly, in order to avoid walking barefoot.
For this reason, the old shoemakers’ workshops were called “rapide” (swift, editor’s note). The craftsmen used just a handful of tools, some glue, small nails, a small hammer, an awl and some needles. To find this type of workshops, handed down from father to son, still active is uncommon.
Naples is synonymous with pizza, whose craft is now included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In the best pizzerias located all over the
city, pizza has become a sacred ritual, cooked with a wood-fire oven and eaten with the hands.
Campania’s culinary tradition is one of the oldest and most varied in the world. The peculiar climate conditions, the fertilizing effect of the
local volcanoes, its role as a hub for the Mediterranean cultures and communities: all these factors have played a key role in making it a strategic area from an agribusiness point of view. More than three hundred – 330 to be precise – the typical dishes of the traditional cuisine acknowledged by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. To make list would be an understatement.
Source:https://www.mpastyle.it/en/italian-clusters-speciale-regione-campania/