GuidoMaggi’s CEO Emanuele Briganti strongly supports the green economy and the importance of noble and lasting raw materials. “Italian leather is the only ecological choice possible,” he says.
Demonizing leather has become a fashion these days, without knowing that reality is quite different. True sustainability for the future of our planet also and above all passes through the master tanners. These professionals work with skill and transform into luxury items that would otherwise be difficult to dispose of.
Let’s dismiss the first mystification: the variants that define themselves as green or eco are no better than natural leather; and are certainly not more sustainable. Science proved it: the alternatives that describe themselves as “ecological” often contain plastic derivatives. This was revealed by a study conducted by the independent German research institute FILK (Forschungsinstitut für Leder und Kunststoffbahnen).
These materials take advantage of ecological marketing, which is so widespread today. Ultimately, they mimic leather in its look and feel but misleadingly use the term “eco” and deceive the consumers. The so-called “faux leather or cactus leather” has nothing to do with leather but claim its characteristics. In particular, they can’t compare to genuine leather in terms of durability and resistance. The German survey analyzed the sample of so-called green materials, dividing it into three groups. The first has a predominantly natural structure without plastic components, but the second and third groups include plastic parts or plastic derivatives such as PVC or PUR.
“Italian leather is the only ecological choice possible”, says Emanuele Briganti, GuidoMaggi’s young managing director. For over four generations, Guidomaggi has used only Italian (Tuscan, to be precise) natural tanned leather to make its famous elevator shoes for men. A choice of style, but also an ecological one. The real, sustainable revolution focuses on noble raw materials: true luxury is made of handcrafted shoes that last over time, not garments and accessories made of plastic that deteriorate in a short time and are difficult to dispose of. In addition to having nothing to do with real leather, the eco alternatives claim to have a green spirit that they don’t possess.
“GuidoMaggi has always been about a high quality, in the context of a circular economy”, explains Briganti. “Thus, because in the future the consumption of meat will increase due to an increasing world population, transforming waste into luxury is a source of pride”. Improving sustainable excellence will be GuidoMaggi’s mission. “Our work, made up of talent and skills, high standards and quality, plays a crucial role for our planet: transforming leather and enhancing it by shaping it into luxury shoes will be the challenge of the future.” Tanning companies are certainly safe because they use biological and renewable substances. Blaming the skin is a mistake; leather is biodegradable, synthetic materials are not. “The Italian leather we use to make our elevator shoes, so loved by ordinary people, men of power and Hollywood stars, is excellence that deserves the spotlight: it’s the best raw material who loves high quality and the environment can choose. Who wants to wear real sustainable accessories must choose those made with Italian leather such as GuidoMaggi’s elevator shoes for men”, concludes the CEO.
