Stefania was one of the first artisans we asked to join us at Artful Italia. When we saw her Italian Artisan Leather bags we knew the quality was exactly what we were looking for. Then we spent about half an hour talking with her and knew we wanted to work with her. Stefania’s immediate love and passion for her country, for artisans and for maintaining the artisan culture in Italy was a perfect fit for Artful Italia.
Stefania has a fabulous energy and an infectious passion for Italian culture. She is an explorer, a bit of a bookworm, and a lover of the world of art and architecture. She has a delightful sense of humor and a graceful way of engaging people she meets. Her warmth and attention to customer service, and detail are extensions of her passion.
When she agreed to work with us we were so excited not only because we love her mission of making professional bags stylish and functional for women but also because we knew she would be a true partner in our mission to support Italian Artisans.
We invite you to read our interview with Stefania and learn more about her and her company, Federico Serrani. We think you will be just as inspired by her as we are.
Artful Italia- Why did you start Federico Serrani?
Stefania-I started because of a personal need. As a business lawyer, I could never find beautiful and spacious bags that had a more interesting touch compared to the classic black nylon computer bags. I wanted the bags to be as beautiful as the rest of my outfit and that of many fellow female managers who had the same problem. The same thing happened to my husband, an international fashion photographer, who could never find beautiful and practical bags for photography, made in Italy. So, we decided to make them ourselves. My motto is always:
"if it doesn't exist, create it"
Artful Italia- Where do you find the inspiration for your designs and your color choices?
Stefania- I find inspiration mainly from books, photography, and visual art in general. Each collection is dedicated to a book (I start from that) loved by my great-grandfather Federico Serrani or by me. What connects us across a century is our great passion for reading. The latest collection is inspired by the deserts and the journey of the soldiers to the fortress described by Dino Buzzati in 'The Tartar Steppe' (which I highly recommend, a wonderful book written by the author at a time of great self-questioning while he was doing a monotonous job that was not taking him where he wanted to go, as a journalist. He wrote it at just over twenty years old)
Artful Italia- Can you tell us about your hobbies, passions, and interests?
Stefania-I spend a lot of time reading in my free time and visiting cities and museums in Italy, Switzerland, and around the world. My husband and I are great archaeology enthusiasts, and we never miss an opportunity to immerse ourselves in different eras whenever we can. We have just returned from a trip to Egypt, spent on the same cruise ship used by Agatha Christie to write "Death on the Nile." It’s impossible not to be overwhelmed by the inspirations.
Artful Italia- What is your favorite Italian food and Italian city?
Stefania-My favorite dish has a particular name, Vincisgrassi (a type of lasagna), and it is typical of my region, Le Marche, where I was born and where we produce our bags. My grandmother Messalina used to prepare it for me, and I am fond of the aromas that filled her kitchen the day before when she would hand-roll the pasta and prepare the sauce. It was a convivial moment to talk and feel enveloped by the family's affection. I can't say I have a favorite city because I've lived in various places and traveled a lot. If I have to choose a place where I always feel at home, I believe it's Rome, where I studied law and where I find the version of myself from a few years ago in the streets, museums, and lesser-known places I frequented while studying there.
Artful Italia- How are your products made?
Stefania-My products are all made with selected leathers, chosen based on the desired effect or product. Sometimes, some leathers are repurposed; that is, if a large company rejects certain colours at the last moment and my craftsman has them available, I might decide to choose them to create a few limited quality pieces to avoid wasting what has already been produced and risks being forgotten. Small quantities and planning of availability of new colours or leathers are the key to our needs. I work only with Italian suppliers for every piece of the bag. I know them in person, something very rare in a supply chain environment in the leather industry.
Artful Italia- You mention that the workshop where your products are created is famous, can you give us a little of their history?
Stefania-I work with two different families of artisans in Le Marche, who handle different products based on their know-how and experience. They are extraordinary people with an exceptional ability to execute the most important details. They work by hand or, in any case, not in an industrial manner for each product (some of the photography backpacks we produce require more than eight hours of work each). The area where they are located is the province of Macerata in Le Marche, around one of the most important footwear districts in Italy. For decades, bags and shoes have been produced here for the biggest brands in the world; here, the art of leatherworking is at home. As a child, when home factories were more common, I remember often being surrounded by the smell of leather and cardboard typical of this production. I can recognize a good bag even by its scent; you can tell the level of leather craftsmanship and the quality of the manufacturing from this as well.
Artful Italia- Why is the promotion of "Italian made" so important to you?
Stefania-The evolution of footwear and leather craftsmanship in Italy is not experiencing a very good period economically, and the quality of production and their invaluable experience risk being lost. For me, talking about "Made in Italy" also means valuing and giving an opportunity, a window to the future, to those who are overwhelmed by difficult bureaucracy, complicated generational transitions, a shortage of skilled labor, and a productive pride that is being lost over time in favour of easier and less ethical solutions.
Artful Italia- If you had to recommend one city or thing to see in Italy what would it be?
Stefania- Venezia is one of my favourite places in Italy but if you want to enjoy it you should visit it in winter, when the fog around piazza San Marco makes everything more magical. I volunteer in Italy for a very important association that preserves cultural heritage and they manage to open, among others, a place in Piazza San Marco that is called Negozio Olivetti. Once upon a time there was a shop of typewriters, now a place for exhibitions. The place was designed by Carlo Scarpa under the ideas of Adriano Olivetti, who was an entrepreneur very attentive about cultural sharing and increase of happiness and self-empowerment of his workers. To me a great inspiration. We also made a shooting for our bags in that place, a dream came true.
Artful Italia- You do quite a few artisan shows throughout the year, why are those important to you?
Stefania-Rarely do I present my products in person alone. I join a group of artisans , mainly women, who want to show in person and explain their products in some specific pop up shops and special events around Italy (maybe also abroad in the future) . That synergy is the plus I missed. Putting together different experiences in different products and giving people the possibility to touch with their hands the quality of our products but also the strength of our ideas. We have many things to tell, and sometimes online is not enough. I love learning from clients, sharing our thoughts , and being part of a community of great people with original ideas.
Artful Italia- If you had one wish for Federico Serrani what would it be?
Stefania- My great-grandfather could never have imagined that one day his name would end up on a photographer's bag in New York or Australia. This has already been a great satisfaction for me, as well as a deep sense of family and gratitude for coming from a place of hardworking, down-to-earth people like those in my region. If I had to express a wish, it would be to further contribute to preserving the endangered craftsmanship that I see in our country. My dream is to grow significantly and to be able to support a leather craft school dedicated to people who not only need to learn how to sew a product but also to value their work starting from their cultural heritage. Craftsmanship should not be the refuge for those who don't want to study in college, but the highest human experience of the ability to create with one's own hands the dreams of those who see beyond a simple object and want to create well-being and happiness for those involved in the process. l
You can find Stefania's beautiful Italian leather bags on our site.
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