Fine hides, Tuscan emblem

"An ‘affordable’ luxury brand where uniqueness makes the difference and each shoe is its own", so begins Alessio Sturlini, CEO and creative director of the eponymous Sturlini Firenze shoe brand and of the Navayos company that produces comfortable high-end footwear for other Italian and international brands. The manager, now in his fifties, an expert in finance and marketing, took over as a young man at the helm of the group after the death of his father. An entrepreneurial reality of style and elegance that Sturlini carries on together with his sister Alessia and Alessia's son the young Edoardo. We interviewed him in the exclusive showroom on Via Borgonuovo in Milan, in the heart of the fashion district. He greeted us with friendliness and simplicity, in elegant yet casual clothing, a Florentine accent and great passion for his land of which he loves to talk about all the products, including the excellent Tuscan olive oil that he himself produces as an amateur, "I live in the country among the olive trees and I have a passion for oil", he confides.
Mr Sturlini, today more than ever before, small and medium-sized Made in Italy companies are struggling due to competition from large international groups that produce outside the borders of the Bel Paese. What can you tell us about your company and the history of the brand?
Moving away from one's homeland is a strategic choice made by several fashion groups, but it is not always as advantageous as it seems. The attentive and informed customer, inclined to taste and product refinement, wants the quality we have to provide at a price that remains affordable. We are a historical company, our locations have the flavour of a lived life. Navayos, founded in 1967, is located in Monsumanno Terme in the province of Pistoia, between Pisa and Florence, in the heart of Tuscany and its leather processing districts. We have a surface area of 5,500 square metres, completely renovated three years ago, where we concentrate all our activities: production with in-house manovie and tannery for garment dyeing, style office and product development, logistics, sales and administration. We turnover 15 million and have 60 per cent foreign customers split between: Germany, Benelux, France, England and Russia. 
Heraldic symbol of the Medici coat of arms of Florence for the Sturlini logo. Correct?
Exactly. Since the mid-2000s, our shoe factory has entered the retail market with the Sturlini brand and a logo that features six bisons of the Medici of Florence or ‘balls’ as they are called by the Florentines because of a distant family kinship.
What is your entrepreneurial secret?
Giving value to craftsmanship. That's our philosophy: hands first. In the 1950s there was a boom in moccasins because they were sewn by hand, without too many machines.
Your ‘flagship’ is the Versilia patent. What is it?
It is the patent registered as a trademark for the Sturlini sole: a special insole that improves comfort. The flexibility and elasticity of the sole, which can bend almost completely, offers a superior quality result compared to other construction techniques.
What are the greatest difficulties you encounter?
Finding designers. The workers have been linked to the brand for decades and the materials we use are all of national or regional origin. We have 60 people with an average age of between 35 and 40 years, 55% men 45% women. Many young people decide not to take the path of handicraft or design schools and prefer to go and work far away from Tuscany. That is why it is not easy to find qualified personnel. One of the tasks of our company is to enhance the people who work for us, to train them, and to invest in research and development, accompanying young people to the ancient craft of ‘quality products’.
Have you ever thought of listing on the stock exchange? What expansion strategies for the future?
We happened to have requests from some investment funds but we said no, we prefer to maintain our independence. 
Opening to capital is premature, each step must be taken at the right time.For now, the goal is to open new outlets and have more visibility. We always aim to diversify, which is why we also produce bags with the craftsmanship of our own dyeing, the garment-dyeing of leathers and uppers in-house using natural pigments.
What is the result of ‘garment-dyeing’?
The upper is immersed in a tanning barrel and given a complete bath.The result is a shoe that is less uniform in colour, unique. The colour is less shiny, more vintage I would say.
The Tuscan district is famous for the production of quality leather.Just take a tour of the boutiques in Florence, Pisa or Livorno to find large quantities of shoes, bags, backpacks, belts for every need and every taste.What are your direct competitors Made in Tuscany?How do you relate?
No competitors, only friends!The secret is to have good relations with the whole supply chain. There are only a few of us left and there is room for everyone. Deluxu.it Copyright