MADE IN ITALY SHOES BEWTWEEN CRAFTS AND CULTURE: INTERVIEW WITH BARBANERA'S SERGIO GUARDì

Four brothers who believe in made in Italy. Four personalities who have come together to establish in 2011 a brand of shoes: Barbanera. We are talking about Sergio and Sebastiano Guardì and Alessandro and Filippo Pagliacci. Today, five years later, remain in the team Alessandro, Sebastiano and Sergio, who has answered a few questions.

Sergio, what was the reason that prompted you to create Barbanera?

The original idea was made by Sebastiano and Filippo. Then we aggregate: me (I returned from Berlin after a two-year period of residence) and Alessandro who was finishing his studies. Well, we have two sets of brothers then, apart from the risks of working with family, we were very motivated and cohesive, we had clear ideas about what to do, how to do and where we wanted to get. Then it is obvious that what we have undertaken is a journey that, even today, you never know where it can take you.

You produce shoes for both men and women. Although most of your counterparts produce in a completely different way respect to, especially, the basic idea to realize the collection, you are looking for in some way not to leave them separate. One example is the s/s 2017 collection “Mermaids” for women and “For Pirates” for men. A choice that you intend to carry on?

In part, yes. Especially in relation to the philosophy, the mood, and the type of client. Obviously thinking about a man’s collection and women think is not the same thing. We can and we must be an internal coherence, the basic idea we tend to respect it. Starting from a foundation which is realized on a quality of a certain type. For example, for the man we thought of a collection that was transverse and embodying our “two souls”. On the one hand the most classic and understated, but always with a twist, the other our soul is more “rock’n’roll” and dandy. Similarly, we think of an ideal woman client who has a strong personality, determined, careful to look right but she is also little affected by passing trends, and so much about her is by her own nature. She is also ironic and does not take herself too seriously yet strong, determined and sexy. Apart from a certain dictates aesthetic there is the desire to create for the woman what we have created or are trying to do for man, that is a very specific and recognizable mood: to overcome the distinction between shoemakers and “fashion” shoe manufacturers.

About these last two aspects, it is difficult today to achieve the first road?

The idea is to overcome this distinction and become a cross-brand, which creates a diverse models kind but always with a basic quality craftsmanship. It is not simple, because it is a very competitive field in terms of cost, price and quality of made in Italy you pay. We choose to produce a collection entirely here with regard to production, packaging, leathers: everything. It is not an easy choice. It is radical, but that reflects our view of things.

You define Barbanera as a brand that has as a principle to be “uncompromising”. In which aspects you repute compromising the fashion world?

That is a good question. Compromises are everywhere, in every sector. And if you create a brand that sells the consumer goods, like it or not you yield to some compromise, because you have to be the so-called “rules of the game”. For sure we do not yield to compromise in terms of quality, and at times, this happens elsewhere. But we also understand that profit has its rules and its needs. Perhaps, very simply, another compromise within the fashion world has to do with the well-established importance of social media. In addition to be a great opportunity to be translated communications in commercial terms, social media represent a great opportunity to play down a certain way of doing, of being closer to the end customer. Obvious that the excessive approach is a risk, that is to remove “magic”, but I believe there is some sort of acceptance of some of those who are new rules dictated, in fact, from this communication phenomenon evolving. Maybe a little more self-irony and lightness would not hurt. So how to create content that will enrich the intrinsic value of the products. I speak of cultural value, not only aesthetic. One of our mottos is “Truth & Culture”. The originality understood as truth, truly express in real life everyday, the values which are expressed with their products. I often like to do this example: in the men’s world is full of aspiring dandy who have no idea what is really art, literature. It makes me smile. Maybe a little more deepness would not hurt.

The brand was born in 2011. Have you met all your expectations and what are those for the future?

Since Barbanera was born, it has evolved a lot. Initially we did only made-to-order service for private so we are very much young as “real” brand in the market. We want to continue to grow, evolve and maintain our flexibility and creative freedom, broaden our horizons, not limit ourselves only to shoes and therefore expand our collections. We have very recently launched our online store within our site, so we hope to make it grow and one day we’d love to open our first flagship store.