The THINK BAG project continues with the workshops between partner suppliers and the students of Polimoda, in full compliance with the safety regulations imposed by the pandemic. During the last workshop, the young designers met Loipell which, in collaboration with Leather & Luxury, is the founder of the project. The company has, in fact, made available skills and techniques to help students to create their bag in a sustainable way. Michael Falagiani, Sales Director of Loipell, tells us how the idea of the project was born, how the company will support students and how it addresses the sustainability issue.
What does the company do?
Loipell was founded in 1980, in the heart of Tuscany, as a manufacturing company and, after having worked for the most important luxury brands for more than 30 years, has developed a dynamic organization able to follow the customer during all the multiple and often complex production phases.
In fact, a real team of expert consultants has been created in the trade, design, development and production fields, for all that concerns leather goods and small leather goods in the fashion sector. The support of this figure is also fundamental in the financial and strategic part, in order to avoid errors and limit waste. By combining the product with the right commercial strategy it is possible to place the Brand in a competitive position in the market.
Thanks to its artisanal know-how and the innovative machinery, Loipell has been able to completely internalize production, optimizing all phases up to quality control. This allows the company to guarantee the absolute confidentiality of the customers’ creativity and, at the same time, to update them with constant reports on the progress of the project.
How did the idea of the THINK BAG project come about?
The idea of THINK BAG was born from the need to facilitate the steps between the drawings and the finished product, because we often see people willing to produce a bag, finding many difficulties in doing it. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of difficulties: from the combination of the right material to the bag’s model, to the study of the feasibility and functionality of the article; from the evaluation of costs, to the creation of a strategic marketing plan.
We would like to give a student the chance to have full vision of this world and all its facets. We want to invest in the energy and enthusiasm of young people trusting in their potential to become the designers of tomorrow.
Which contribution will you give to the students?
Loipell will provide its consulting department to give young designers the opportunity to fulfill their dream, supporting them in the creation of the prototype. In this regard, resources will be used to find the technical solutions also based on the proposed materials. Finding the balance between the feasibility of a stock exchange, its price and its possible industrialization, is already fundamental.
In addition, the company will be in charge of making the 20 pieces of the THINK BAG project’s winning bag, which will then be sold in a well-known Italian store.
For several years now, fashion and leather goods companies have been asked to pay great attention to the environmental sustainability issue. In your opinion, what does sustainability mean?
It is the potential result of many actions of responsibility by multiple individuals, aimed at safeguarding the health of the planet. The sustainability topic has now become a requirement for competitiveness in many aspects, provided that the consumer is interested in the environmental and ethical commitment promoted by brands. Today we assist at the phenomenon of "frenetic consumerism" that inevitably leads to a huge waste of resources. It is also important to consider the fact that fashion is trend-based, which then leads to a high accumulation of waste, (often non-biodegradable), due to the very short life cycle of products.
One of the best solutions to this problem is the principle of "3R": Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. A very significant example is the case of the Swiss brand Freitag which has combined sustainability and style by creating bags and backpacks using multi-colored tarpaulins of trucks.
In light of this, how committed is Loipell in this cause?
Loipell is committed on several fronts to reduce the environmental impact, with techniques of reuse of waste and leftovers, resulting from the production of leather goods such as bags and backpacks. By creating small leather goods (such as keyholders and paper holders) we give a second life to the product, implementing the so-called Upcycling mechanism. In addition, thanks to the use of innovative machinery, it is possible to reduce the waste of material and energy.
We try to take a step today that will improve tomorrow.
