MILAN – “Natural capital is a very sophisticated form of luxury.”
Marco Boglione, founder and chairman of BasicNet Group, which operates brands such as K-Way and Superga, believes so. He speaks from his experience giving new life to Cruccia, a private island off the coast of Sardinia, Italy.
Boglione and his wife, Stella, bought the island in 2017 with the goal of preserving its natural environment and undeveloped state, rather than turning it into a flashy property.
“When you ask yourself, ‘What is luxury?'” Luxury is something that gives you pleasure…and it comes in many forms. There are luxuries that come from living well, eating well, drinking well, and dressing well. But the sense of privilege and luxury that nature gives us, and not just the beauty of the landscape, but the culture that is built on it, is something that, as far as I’m concerned, is really attracting attention.” Ta. Boglione took the stage during a panel discussion moderated by WWD Milan bureau chief Luisa Zargani.
Boglione said that meeting the island was “love at first sight.” But I didn’t expect it to go up for sale because no one was thinking of buying the property,” he recalled.
Laudomia Pucci and Marco Boglione
Lorenza Mercuri
At the time, he was advised by colleagues to stay away from such transactions. “They said I was crazy, but that’s nothing new to me,” he joked. “When the notary asked me why I wanted to buy it, I said it was like buying a painting. You hang it on the wall and look at it every night. In this case, you don’t even need to hang it; ,” Boglione said.
“It’s a piece of natural art, and we continue to treat it like a painting. We get great pleasure from keeping it clean, restoring it if necessary, and rediscovering it,” he said. Ta.
With the aim of revitalizing the island and keeping its traditions and culture alive, the Boglione family also founded Bill Agricola, which produces the highest quality agricultural products while respecting the landscape and history of Cruccia. This includes Vermentino wine, oil, myrtle, gin, honey, and even oysters, which are known for their excellent taste.
Similar motives led Ferruccio Ferragamo to breathe new life into the Tuscan estate of Il Borro in the 90s.
“He fell in love with this medieval village,” recalls his daughter Vittoria Ferragamo, who is now sustainability and special projects manager at Il Borro Toscana. “When I was little, I used to go hunting there with him and he would tell me a lot about this place, its history, its territory. That’s what he envisioned long term. “We need to rediscover the site, do research and analysis of the soil and climate, and (combine) the hospitality project with production. The first challenge is winemaking,” Ferragamo said. .
Vittoria Ferragamo
Lorenza Mercuri
Since then, Ferragamo has not only offered locally sourced products, but also implemented circular initiatives and strengthened what the region has to offer with a sustainable approach.
The family hit it off with executive chef Andrea Campani. He was born and raised about nine miles from Il Borro, so he has known the area since childhood.
“So when I had an opportunity to do something important in a place where my friends and I and my family grew up and where we have really strong ties, (I) took the opportunity to do that interview. (With him) “Ferragamo” took five minutes and we connected immediately,” said Campani, who has collaborated with Il Borro for 11 years.
“We have the chickens, the eggs, the wheat to make our flour. Imagine a chef who has the opportunity to work for a company that produces these essentials in-house,” Campani said, adding that Ferragamo revamped activities and production that were slated to disappear, adding that the hospitality project introduced a farm-to-table approach. .
“In 2013, we had about 35 to 40 employees, and now we have 220 to 240 employees, collaborators and consultants,” Campani said, adding that 85 percent of the staff is local. He emphasized that he was from the region. “For us, gardens and farms mean community. Bringing these (products) to the table means taking them to other people, and therefore continuing to promote them and our We bring the tradition and culture of the world to every corner,” the chef said, referring to the Il Borro Tuscan Bistro restaurants that opened in Dubai in 2017 and 2022, Crete and Greece respectively.
andrea campani
Lorenza Mercuri
Consolidating this territory is also a cultural mission for Laudomia Pucci, director of the Emilio Pucci Hermitage and mastermind of the Palazzo N6 project built in her family’s historic palace in Florence .
This frescoed site in the heart of Via Pucci has been in the family for six centuries and now offers private tours of the fashion archives, artistic showcases and seasonal local produce carefully selected by Pucci’s personal chefs. We offer custom dining with.
“I realized that it’s unusual to be born and raised in such a historic mansion. It was obvious to me, but not to the world at large,” Pucci said. “So I tried to bring together different elements: history, archives, family. I tried to synthesize what (this) region has to offer. Florence has a history…My father was a big fan of Italian fashion. I had an archive and I had a building, so I thought I’d try to create a puzzle and narrate all these elements.”
Laudomia Pucci
Lorenza Mercuri
For Pucci, this was also a way to offer a different experience in a city affected by overtourism. “We don’t sell products, we tell stories,” she said, emphasizing the importance of reinvigorating the place, for example by establishing ateliers with working artisans. Indeed, Pucci suggested that the nearby school Istituto Europa di Design provide five rooms for students to install sewing machines and use as studios from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.
“Today everything is digital, but I want the real world,” said Pucci, who juxtaposed Renaissance frescoes with pastel carpets, contemporary furniture and contemporary art for maximum impact. She added that this approach also led to her bold design choices, such as giving.
“And now we’re lucky enough to have Michelin-starred chef Vito Mollica joining us, because he loved this story and felt it was authentic.” he said. “The different approach gave Florence a different input and gave me new passion and joy,” she concluded.
