Valextra president inspired by craftsmanship and house DNA
Emanuele Carminati Molina, president of Valextra, devotes time and effort to strengthen the brand he has coveted since his teenage days, writes Vivian Chen
A. When I was 17, I used to visit Milan every week by train, and I always walked past a Valextra store near the train station. I was inspired by the luxury leather goods and the people who frequented the shop. One day, I decided to buy something from the shop for my father's birthday. I walked into the store and found out that even a small coin bag would set me back months' worth of pocket money. After 30 years, my time came, and I decided to buy Valextra. It was an act of passion for me.
A. What [worried] me the most was losing Valextra's important history, which was so Italian and Milanese, to be precise. The first thing I did was visit the old craftsmen who were laid off. I visited them one by one, asking them to come back to work. I reinvested in the traditional style, the mentality and even the tools. The next step was to implement new organisation, my philosophy and my way of thinking. It took us 10 years, and I'd like to think we are there now.
A. Plenty has been done to enhance the relationship between young craftsmen and veteran craftsmen. We have craftsmen who are nearly 50 years old and young folks in their early 20s. Celebrating traditional craftsmanship also creates more job opportunities.
A. Our customers are from all over the world, and that's why we've opened shops in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and [other cities]. We actually have only one boutique in Italy. Our Italian customers are sophisticated and loyal.
A. We are introducing e-commerce in the Japanese market. I believe e-commerce can help [customers] who already know us and facilitate their next purchase. Our new e-commerce site is developed for loyal customers because there are only a few places in the world where you can feel and touch a Valextra bag. We want to keep [the experience] exclusive and intimate. Nowadays, people do buy luxury goods online. I've recently bought art pieces through an online auction. It's because I know the pieces well and I know I'm buying through the right channel. That's what we want [to achieve with] our clients through our e-commerce channel.