A talk with Stefania Lazzaroni

What are the origins of Altagamma?

Altagamma was born in 1992 as a way of preserving and promoting Italian cultural and creative enterprises, internationally prized for their uniqueness and quality. This ambitious project was founded by a group of visionary entrepreneurs from nine Italian companies, including Versace, Zegna, Gucci, Ferragamo, Alessi, FontanaArte, and Baratti & Milano. Santo Versace was Altagamma’s first president. At that time, Italian fashion was at its peak of international visibility thanks to world-renowned designers, which helped propel Made in Italy’s unstoppable momentum beyond the fashion industry: to food, industrial design, automotive, and yachting. Gradually, more brands and sectors were added. That’s why, for over thirty years, we have welcomed the finest companies operating in the seven sectors of Italian luxury: fashion, design, jewellery, food, hospitality, automotive, and yachting. To date, Altagamma has 118 members.

What is its vision?

We firmly believe that Italy is an irreplaceable model of creativity, high-end manufacturing, and innovation, the cornerstones of the entire luxury industry: fashion, design, food, automotive, yachting, jewellery, and hospitality. With Altagamma, we aim to support our members and promote their brands as ambassadors of the Italian lifestyle worldwide, while making an important contribution to the national economy. Italy’s high cultural and creative industry is worth approximately 144 billion euros, accounting for 7.4% of GDP, and employs nearly 2 million people. Like no other organization in Italy, Altagamma accelerates Made in Italy by promoting close collaboration among members, partners, institutions, and stakeholders.

How are Members chosen?

The selection of Altagamma Members is a formal process designed to ensure that only companies representing the best of Italian luxury become members of our Foundation. Companies must have a Made in Italy brand and be headquartered in Italy, enjoy international renown and distribution, have a solid heritage, and be B2C companies positioned at the top of their sector in terms of price point. Other criteria include a strong connection with the territory, creative and innovative capacity, and manufacturing excellence. All Altagamma members are directly involved in evaluating potential new members, who must be approved by the Board of Directors and the Assembly. Our intent is not, and cannot be, to expand the membership base but to select companies that are correctly positioned within the high-end segment. Our members are historic brands deeply rooted in the territory, together representing over 11,000 years of Italian history.

What does it mean for a brand to be part of Altagamma?

Fondazione Altagamma is an ecosystem of relationships and knowledge unique in Italy. Companies have the opportunity to address themes common to all of them as they target the world’s 400 million high-end consumers. This valuable, diversified network allows members to establish meaningful contacts and collaborate on new projects. Being part of it means making their products and values known through our promotion and communication activities, which helps strengthen the reputation and appeal of Made in Italy excellence in the global market. We also provide strategic and operational support through dedicated working groups, offering consultancy and support in crucial areas such as marketing, institutional relations, HR, taxation, and sustainability.

How does the collaboration evolve?

The collaboration between Mutina and Altagamma is an opportunity for the Modena-based ceramics company to position itself among the most significant Italian standouts, participate in exclusive events such as Altagamma Day in Rome or the Altagamma Observatory (where we present the Altagamma-Bain Monitor), stay up-to-date on European legislative developments, and take part in cross-sectoral meetings such as marketing and HR working groups. Altagamma also promotes some thematic projects, including the “Adopt a School” initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Merit, which aims to promote craftsmanship and the training of young people in these professions. We will undoubtedly involve Mutina in sustainability issues and the Charter of Values, which we unveiled for our thirtieth anniversary and presented to President Mattarella. This document demonstrates our members’ clear commitment to ESG issues.

How did you get in touch with Mutina?

Like other members, Mutina was admitted to Altagamma through a process of co-option, in which two or more Foundation members propose potential candidates. Generally, the sector-specific group signals new companies to be co-opted. With Mutina’s entry, there are now 23 member companies in the design sector.

Why did you choose us? What impressed you the most?

Mutina is an extraordinary brand that tells a beautiful story, highlighting some distinctive traits of the Italian luxury industry: its ties to a historical manufacturing district, in this case the ceramics district in Modena; the pursuit of absolute quality and innovation; a business vision involving collaboration and partnerships; and the revival of ancient crafts and production techniques. Mutina’s steady commitment to the contemporary art world, as exemplified by the “Mutina for Art” initiative, is also tangible proof of the cultural influence of Altagamma companies and their ability to be not only creators of beauty but also attentive interpreters and actors of contemporary society and sociocultural changes in progress.

What do you see in Altagamma’s future? And in Mutina’s?

We look to the future with optimism and determination. We are ready to guide our members through global challenges such as the lack of young manufacturing talent, the digital transformation, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. As for Mutina, we are confident that the ability to innovate and intercept new trends by collaborating with internationally renowned designers will secure its significant growth in Italy and in new international markets that are steadily expanding.

Which of these goals can we achieve together?

The synergies to emerge from the collaboration between Altagamma and Mutina will further showcase Italy’s cultural and industrial heritage. By combining our strengths, we can promote and protect Made in Italy excellence around the world. Made in Italy is our soft power, and an “umbrella brand” that is invaluable for boosting individual names on the global stage.