RECOMMEND
2017.08.23 update

[Interview] FABI / Fabi Manuele Fabi | The Last Great of Marche（2/3）

Handcrafted work that wasn't just a pipe dream.

Fabi is a shoemaker and brand founded in 1965 by the Fabi brothers, Enrico and Elisio, along with their respective wives. Elisio's son, Emanuele, shared some old stories his father had told him.


"Back then, Marche was all farmland. When the harsh winters arrived, farmers started making shoes as a way to work indoors. My father still talks about it, taking the first hand-sewn moccasins he ever made and traveling by bus to a customer 300 kilometers away."
Then came an unprecedented economic boom, so great that they needed all the help they could get. Fabi saw this as an opportunity and began investing in factory equipment. Fabi was the first to introduce an automatic leather cutting machine in Marche.
Fabii, steadily expanding, completed a new 12,000 square meter headquarters in Monte San Giusto, a town adjacent to Monte Granaro, in its 12th year of operation, and built an even larger 15,000 square meter headquarters in 2004. Riding on this momentum, it acquired up-and-coming shoe brands such as Mare and Barracuda in 2008. As of 2015, it employs 340 people, has opened a directly managed store in Rome in addition to its headquarters in Monte San Giusto, and its export ratio has reached 70%.


The key to their picture-perfect success story lies in their commitment to automation while simultaneously preventing traditional craftsmanship from becoming a pipe dream. Take cutting, for example. While Fabier was quick to implement automated cutting, they still maintain a hand-cutting section.
"Even if the final stages are left to machines, the people operating those machines must have knowledge of leather. The skills of a craftsman can only be acquired by actually touching and cutting the leather oneself."
As if to express pride in their craftsmanship, each shoe comes with a tag listing the names of the artisans who handled the dyeing and sole attachment. The central figure behind this is Gianni Scalafiocca, who accompanied them on this trip to Japan. He oversees all technical aspects, from factory management to last and sample production. He is also the one who developed the Flex Goodyear welt construction method, which has become quite familiar in Italy. This manufacturing method was patented in 2008.


"I joined the company when I was 10 months old, so that's already 49 years of experience," says Emanuele, who places complete trust in Gianni, with a smile. Gianni, who will turn 65 this year, is nurturing four young talents with great care. Fabio also seems to have a solid plan in place for passing on his skills.

A solid family business is also one of Fabi's virtues. The people in charge of the day-to-day operations are Enrico and Elisio's children, including Emanuele.

Related Articles

Popular Products