Time.news – Six years after the bankruptcy of 2017, the legendary Borsalino hat is making a comeback in grand style, which the French-Italian financier Philippe Camperio is relaunching on the market, dusting off the legendary signature born in 1857. A relaunch that aims to maintain the style of the hat made in Alessandria – headquarters of the historic factory, in Piedmont – and made celebrated worldwide by film stars such as Alain Delon and Humphrey Bogart.
To distinguish the Borsalino production process are tAuthentic vintage techniques that have remained unchanged over time: seven weeks and 50 manufacturing processes are required to manufacture the iconic felt model. Since the birth of the brand, wooden machinery dating back to 1888 has come into action which allows the carefully selected raw materials to be mixed, including rabbit hair imported from Belgium and Portugal.
This raw material, softer, firmer and more malleable than wool, is dispersed in a cloud of steam using a 1940s instrument above a moving metal cone, before being sprinkled with hot water.
“At the beginning, in 1888, our factory was at the forefront of machinery, while today we are among the last artisans in the world in the manufacture of handmade hats”, said Alessandro Mortarino, purchasing manager. In addition to the machinery, there are the expert hands of artisans in action, such as Daniela Fascia, who for 15 years has been applying herself to giving shape to the Fedora model with rapid gestures and surgical precision. “Machinery helps us, but the main work is done by hand, respecting tradition“Fascia testified.
On 4 April Borsalino will celebrate 166 years of existence and Jacopo Politi, 44, a former Chanel employee, will take care of relaunching its image and its style. “The biggest challenge now is to dynamize and modernize the brand to catapult it into a colorful, young and bubbly world, while preserving its historic DNA,” explained the designer. For the relaunch of the brand, Borsalino has on its side the trends that have brought the hat back to the fore as an indispensable and commonly used accessory, a trend that began in the 2000s, after decades in which it was essentially closed in wardrobes.
Borsalino (afp)
Alongside the two great luxury classics, in felt and the straw panama, new models are produced such as the caps, much appreciated by a young clientele and more and more female compared to the past.
In fact, in the last period sales to female customers have increased by 20 to 50% and the goal is to reach 60-65%. Turnover is clearly recovering: after a 50% drop in purchases in 2020 due to the pandemic, they grew by 25% in 2021 and reached $21.7 million in 2022. For 2023, top management expects an increase in sales volume of 20 to 25%.
Every year 180,000 Borsalinos are produced, which sell for an average of 325 dollars a unit with some models of great luxury, such as the Panama Montecristi, the most expensive of all since it requires six months to make and costs 1,790 dollars. The proceeds from the sales also serve to smooth out the company’s critical financial situationindebted for 36.9 million.
This 4th April will be a special anniversary for Borsalino, with the inauguration of a museum in Alessandria that will exhibit 2,000 of the most emblematic models, with the hope of attracting tourists from all over the world, thus contributing to a second life for the historic brand Made in Italy.