Artikel: How Santoni increase innovation and sustainability ahead in luxury fashion
How Santoni increase innovation and sustainability ahead in luxury fashion
Within the last edition of Milan Menswear shows, Santoni, the Italian luxury footwear and accessory brand, presented its newest f/w 2024/2025 collection in a bucolic and vegetal showroom presentation at the presence of guests and friends, including actor Pierfrancesco Favino, testimonial and lon-time friend of the company.
In particular, the brand debuted a new soft and light product selection entirely dedicated to deconstructed, enveloping shapes with an ultra-soft hand offered in earthy and warm browns and variations in natural nuances.
Among the newly offered models it offered lace-up suede ankle boots with flexible two-tone sole with Goodyear construction, a Limited Edition Oxford shoe in shades of burgundy, the Andrea moccasin with its dancing tassels and metal doubling details, all products that pursue the company’s strategy to offer high-quality and manufacturing exemplars in-keeping with the company’s identity.
The new collection, as well as the brand’s overall offer, aims to further enhance its deep connection with the territory it belongs, the March region, a well-known footwear manufacturing district of Italy, and the nearby Sibillini Mountains, a chain of mountains whose name reminds of the tale of Sibyl, a queen of fairies, protector of the Mountains and guardian of a realm inhabited by special animals and fantastic creatures.
Releasing its Sustainability Report 2022
Along with this bucolic inspiration, Santoni’s collections continue to state their strong connection and defense of the local manufacturing expertise. Within this frame, Santoni has recently released its second sustainability balance referred to 2022 as a means to express the importance it gives to sustainability as a key tool in defining its next three years industrial strategy.
The report underlines the pillars that will define the company’s strategy of next years which are revenue increase, expansion in new market segments, innovation of products and processes and overall better company organization.
The document, was prepared in collaboration with the Marche University, by adopting some of the "GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards" (GRI Standards), published by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Enhancement of human capital
Among the pillars of the Maison's sustainable implementation are the celebration of Human Capital and an ongoing commitment to the recognition of talents, who are offered concrete support for the purpose of training and professional placement.
In March 2023 Santoni inaugurated the Academy of Excellence, a month-long educational program in which, through theoretical lessons and workshops young talents can deepen and learn arts such as construction and assembly, stitching and detail finishing directly from the professionals already operating at Santoni.
Production processes and raw materials
Regarding production processes and for the procurement of the main categories of raw materials, the company takes into account the quality of raw materials and that suppliers possess certifications of the materials supplied and meet official sustainability standards in turn.
Also with a view to sustainability, also during 2022, in line with the previous two-year period, 95% of raw material purchases were made from Italian suppliers, 42% of which were based in the Marche region, a choice that confirms the Maison's strong roots in its territory of origin, as well as being aimed at a policy of reducing waste and potentially polluting activities.
"Corporate social responsibility, in addition to being an identity value of Santoni, has become a commitment made up of concrete actions that aim to integrate the principles of sustainability into its management models, transforming them into real strategic assets," said Giuseppe Santoni.
Environmentally conscious products
With a view to paying increasing attention to sustainable environment, the Group has initiated the creation of a line of footwear "green" that includes shoes made from sustainable bottoms and materials.
The company offers two types of product lines: footwear made from animal hides that are not treated with harmful solvents during the tanning process, which, of exhibit greater biodegradability; and footwear created from "vegan" materials (without the use of components of animal origin) that, while replicating the appearance of leather, consist of textile substrates coated with polymeric substances of predominantly chemical; these materials make it possible to achieve a number of handcrafted effects, particularly in the finishing of the product, without the use of elements of animal origin.
Also with a view to minimizing the use of virgin materials and, likewise, reducing environmental impact, 90% of the packaging and materials inside the packages (e.g. paper), used by the Santoni Group, come from recycled materials.
Consumer services
Among the services offered to the consumer, the company also offers a service aimed at the recovery of already used footwear with the intent both to be able to recondition–the so-called "remise en forme”–and, in some cases, also allows to propose stylistic variations-customizations of various kinds.
By means of this project, the company aims to ensure, on the one hand, the greater durability of the product thus, the extension of the product's useful life and, on the other hand, the recyclability of some of the bottom components (especially, the rubber bottoms).
In fact, the idea underlying this project is to give a "new life" to the upper of footwear used by customers and, at the same time, to replace the bottom of the footwear with materials obtained from the recycling of the same returned and returned by customers.
Traceability and circularity
Finally, as part of the circular economy, Santoni has introduced a number of innovative traceability systems based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that make it possible to record every stage of the production process, from the order phase of the order to the delivery of the finished product to the customer; this traceability also extends to monitoring the flow of materials within the various production departments.
More about Santoni
Santoni closed 2023 recording a turnover of €115 million, a 15% increase over 2022, when it had already increased its sales by 45% when compared with 2021. The company counts a total of 700 employees globally, of whose 50 newly hired people in the second half of 2023.
Last year it has inaugurated ten new mono brand boutiques including Santoni Harrods, Capri, Forte dei Marmi, e HoChiMin (Vietnam), Kuwait City and Taskent (Uzbekistan).
In the first half of 2024 tale espansione will continue its monobrand expansion by opening about five new stores in international locations.
