The Art of Made in Tuscany Fashion Conquering the World

The rolling Tuscan hills, a deep tailoring tradition, the scent of fine fabrics ready to be custom-cut. It is in this setting, specifically in Castelfiorentino in 1972, that the roots of one of the most fascinating and solid realities of the Italian fashion scene take hold: L. Pucci. Born as a small artisan workshop and transformed over the years into a trouser manufacturer of pure excellence, today the company looks to the entire world through its flagship brand, Via Masini 80. A story of family, dedication, and entrepreneurial courage, led today by Francesco Simoni, CEO of the brand and grandson of Lorenzo Pucci, the company’s founder. In this exclusive interview for The Ambassador, we retraced the steps of this evolution, tackling the hot topics of internationalization, the difficult generational turnover, and the fight against fast fashion, while always keeping its 100% Made in Italy DNA intact.

Francesco, yours is a company with over 50 years of history. How did the leap from historical manufacturers to an international brand with “Via Masini 80” happen?

It happened in conjunction with the generational turnover within the company. After the first decade of the new millennium, the global market began to change significantly, and consumption along with it. Until then, the company operated solely within the Italian national market, serving hundreds of clients from Bolzano to Agrigento. After the first crisis in 2008, there was a revolution in our sector. In just a few years, the wholesale market began to crumble, and the entry of competitors with aggressive pricing did the rest, putting manufacturing companies at a crossroads. We had the foresight to aim for a market segment that favors a medium-high product because we understood that we couldn’t engage in a race to the bottom. Strengthened by our experience in trousers, we designed a completely new line and rebuilt our network of agents, beginning to look abroad. Since then, 15 years ago, we have entered over 20 countries worldwide. We planted the seed of a quality product, and now we are reaping the rewards. The fortune for our company was having the third generation ready to take up Lorenzo Pucci’s baton to project our reality into the future.

Your core business has always been women’s trousers, notoriously one of the most difficult garments to make when it comes to “fit”. Today, however, you offer a “total look”. What drove this evolution?

Exactly. The trouser is a sort of judge for a woman’s lines. Anyone in the industry knows this well. It can manage to enhance or demean depending on the craftsmanship. For the creation, we must not think solely of the stitching, because before this phase there is the style that designs it, the pattern-making department that refines it, and the cutting. Afterwards, there is the ironing, quality control, and packaging. Every single phase has the same importance. It’s like a plate of pasta: you can make the best sauce in the world, but if the pasta is overcooked, the result will be terrible. The leap towards the total look was an evolution that happened naturally. Initially, we entered the market with our workhorse, the trouser; then, once the distribution was created, it was the agents themselves and the boutiques that pushed us beyond the single product, asking us first for the shirt and then the jacket until the look was complete. Obviously, our clients were used to an excellent fitting on the trousers and demanded the same for the other types of garments. To do this, we trained our internal staff, and today we can say we have brought the same level of quality to all the products we present.

You are present in many foreign markets. In a world marked by geopolitical instability and sudden changes, how complex is it to export Made in Italy today?

It is much more complex than in the past. Today, in fact, we have to navigate through customs, documentation, and certificates that often change from country to country. We collaborate with external offices, but we also have internal staff who take care of all these aspects. Personally, I see it as an advantage for virtuous companies like ours; the important thing would be that the same rules were applied to all producers, which does not always happen. On the commercial side, instead, regarding the opening of new markets, the aspect is twofold, because on the one hand, the global geopolitical situation does not encourage consumption in our sector, and on the other, it creates opportunities that we must be good at seizing. Every historical moment has its difficulties, it’s useless to beat around the bush. After the end of World War II, the whole world had to deal with continuous conflicts that still drag on today without ever finding a resolution. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to the fact that it is normal that once one war ends, another immediately begins. We must look ahead and continue to do well what we do, putting in effort, passion, and dedication. Waiting for even better times, which will surely come.

There is an issue that afflicts the Italian manufacturing enterprise: the mismatch between labor supply and demand. Finding specialized artisans, seamstresses, and pattern makers seems almost impossible. How do you face this generational hurdle?

We are in the industrial sector, but we consider ourselves artisans. Over the past 50 years, in fact, the world around the trouser has changed. Starting from the sales method, where once there was the commercial agent who traveled with his car and briefcase, personally went to clients, and orders were made in paper format, to today where in some cases you don’t even meet the buyer and everything is done virtually. Order management, which with the advent of computers has been significantly streamlined. Advertising, which with the advent of social networks has been revolutionized. But the creation of the garments, that has remained almost faithful over the years. Technology has advanced here too, of course, but the garments are made roughly as they were 50 years ago. Finding specialized artisans today is a great challenge, because our sector is not as attractive as it once was. We tackle this problem primarily by aiming to grow our internal staff, because the first objective is not to lose those who have known our “secrets” for years. Subsequently, to attract new people, we collaborate with specialized schools. Because this work, like any other artisan work, requires dedication and commitment. It requires attention, sacrifice, and discipline. But the satisfaction of seeing a woman dressed in our suits makes up for all of this. Do not be fooled by those who promise you easy success in a short time. The message I would like to convey to the young people of today approaching the world of work is exactly this: the first thing that must drive you is passion, then put in all the effort and sacrifice possible. You will make missteps, you will make mistakes, you will take the wrong paths, but if you keep your goal fixed in your mind, you will see that you will manage to carry it forward successfully, because you will move forward where others will stop. You must build a project with solid foundations so that it can stand the test of time, and you must find your identity. You must start believing in dreams again; no one will make them come true for you.

From the words of Francesco Simoni emerges the clear portrait of a company that is not afraid to evolve, to embrace the challenges of a complex global market, and to broaden its horizons, while remaining tenaciously anchored to the invaluable worth of craftsmanship. Via Masini 80 is no longer just a geographical address on the map of Tuscany, but it is the emblem of a know-how that rejects the logic of disposability to celebrate an authentic and lasting elegance. A true hymn to Italian tailoring that, with pride and determination, continues to dress women all over the world in beauty and quality.