Silent Witnesses Innovation Through Tradition in Italian Fashion Companies

Abstract

The aim of this essay is to examine the relationship between design and handcraft, and examine the artisan as a witness of cultural and social traditions. In the fashion and textile sector, craft production represents a very high manufacturing cost, particularly when production is not delocalized. However, it might not be easy to position craft production in the market, because its value is not immediately perceived. In this case, a design-oriented approach is essential. Design is important for the specificity of local productive knowledge and identity, not only to develop products with a high narrative content, but also as a stimulus for innovation. In combination with a local orientation, design can build value on implicit knowledge, the search for new languages, increase in the emotional dimension of the offered work, and innovate processes and the conception of the finished products. At the same time, design can help consumers to understand and recognize the qualities and unique characteristics of handmade products, thus creating the feeling of a unique purchasing experience with high added value.