Fashion special: Luxury material championed in fields beyond fashion

Milan has long been synonymous with all forms of innovation, technology and design. One company that embodies the spirit of all these qualities is Alcantara S.p.A., the Milan-based luxury material manufacturer.

The appearance and feel of Alcantara material closely resembles suede and it is often incorrectly identified as such. Alcantara is actually the proprietary trade name of an innovative composite material developed in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist working for the Japanese chemical giant Toray Industries, which owns the company in partnership with Mitsui.

Alcantara has a number of advantages over its suede and leather cousins, namely it is durable despite being lightweight, stain resistant and can be more easily molded to fit any shape. Add to this, certain versions are flame retardant and it's a natural fit for the automotive industry.

The company has always shied away from being over reliant on the pure functionality of its material. It is credited as being one of the pioneers in bringing a design and fashion mentality to car manufacturers and as a result has built partnerships with a formidable portfolio of automobile brands including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. If you have ever had the good fortune to drive or sit in a luxury car, the chances are you were surrounded by Alcantara upholstery.

The automotive sector accounts for about 70 percent of the company's turnover, but Alcantara's versatility has enabled CEO Andrea Boragno to develop products and applications across a wide variety of high-end, design-led fields ranging from interior design and home decor in association with Lignet Roset, to collaborations with consumer electronics leaders such as Leica and Sennheiser. Since December 2013, a line of high-tech Alcantara accessories have been on sale in Apple stores in the United States.

"We have always stressed the fact that our strategy as a company is to push the boundaries of this material as far as it can go," said Boragno. "I believe that one of my tasks when I took over as CEO was to take a fresh look at the potential uses of Alcantara with a view to make design and innovation an essential part of the company's DNA. It is a material that lends itself exceptionally well to customization and personalization, so we have invested heavily in research and development to demonstrate its virtually infinite capabilities. As a result we are now involved in a wide array of new fields.

"Our brand now has a very strong global identity and it is my belief that one of our key competitive advantages comes from the fact that we have developed and maintained very close ties with the leading talents from the world of design. Creativity is essential in helping us to position ourselves in a unique way. It allows us to instill a sense of emotion and beauty in what we do that allows us to stay ahead of the market."

Expo Milano 2015

Alcantara's commitment to a blend of aesthetics and functionality is in evidence this year in Milan. The city is currently hosting the prestigious universal exhibition - Expo Milano 2015 - bringing together participants from more than 140 countries. By the time the expo closes its doors at the end of October, organizers expect to have welcomed well over 20 million visitors, including more than a million people from China.

Under the banner "Alcantara, Technology of Dreams", the company sponsored an exhibit in the rooms of the former Prince of Milan's apartment in the Palazzo Reale. Six designers, who are leaders in fashion, lighting, interior and exhibition design, were commissioned to interpret the concepts of beauty, flexibility, touch and transform-ability - all the characteristics of Alcantara's style. One of the curators of the Expo Milano exhibit was Giulio Cappelini, who was recently selected by Time Magazine as one of the top ten global trendsetters in fashion and design.

"Sponsoring an exhibition that takes Alcantara into the Royal Palace, a place of immense historical and cultural significance, to interpret the close ties existing among technology, art, industry and innovation is gratifying for all of our employees," said Boragno. "The reaction from those who participated and visited has been unprecedented. Rossana Orlandi, for example, whose opinion is highly valued in the art world, was genuinely enthusiastic about what we created."

Similarly, to mark Milan Design Week, Alcantara opened a concept store featuring the company's "Metamorphosis collection", including creations by stylist and designer Rebecca Moses. The store also showcases capsule collections by creative artists including Alessandro Dell'Acqua and Paula Cademartori, who were selected by Vogue Italia to create one-of pieces using Alcantara material. The store is open to the public until the end of September.

"Our relations with the world of fashion are already strong and growing," said Boragno. "Armani, for example, was one of the first to use our material but we now work closely with a number of luxury fashion houses. This is the proof that Alcantara fits perfectly as a contemporary lifestyle brand and reinforces our position as ambassadors of 'Made in Italy'. I want to stress that everything we create is Italian made, using a unique combination of high-tech know-how and Italian craftsmanship. It is not simply a question of quality, but also of tradition and sentiment that cannot be reproduced elsewhere. Obviously we ofer a premium product and our close associations with the world's leading creative talents helps us to be recognized as such."

Sustainability

In recent years Alcantara has added a third pillar to its identity - the concept of sustainability. The company was one of the first in Europe to obtain coveted carbon neutral certification. This was accomplished by a thorough "cradle to grave" evaluation of all its practices and included the installation of advanced high-efficiency cogeneration and phyto-treatment stations at its Nera Montoro plant. As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Alcantara publishes an annual sustainability report that outlines the environmental, economic and social impact of the company, including careful monitoring of its supply chain.

"Sustainability is now ingrained in our culture and we have proved that being serious about sustainability, while it incurs costs, helps create value," said Boragno.

A survey of Alcantara's brand by Interbrand, the leading global brand consultants, backed this up. In 2006, Alcantara's brand was valued at 6.5 million($7.4 million). It has since increased fifteenfold to 100 million, helping to fuel massive growth in international markets. 90 percent of the company's turnover now derives from exports and China is a key partner.

"We have only been in China for five years, but the results have been exceptionally encouraging," said Boragno. "I can tell you that without a doubt this year's figures will be even better than predicted. As well as partnering with the leading supercar manufacturers; Buick, Audi and Volkswagen also use Alcantara's materials in China to help position themselves as a quality brand."

Alcantara City Shanghai

For the second consecutive year, Alcantara teamed up with leading brand partners in China to create "Alcantara City" at the Shanghai Auto Show in May this year.

The result was a highly acclaimed art show that celebrated the beauty of Alcantara's materials, demonstrating its design potential, not only for the automotive sector, but for designers in a multitude of fields.

"In Shanghai, we revealed the magic of Alcantara," said Boragno. "There is nothing better than to express the emotional beauty of our material. Our unique material can be applied to a wide range of industries from automotives and fashion, to home d��cor, interior design and consumer electronics."

The exhibit featured a stunning Maserati GranCarbrio MC with a backdrop of an ultramodern "Alcantara Skyline" put in place by high-end home furnishing brand Molteni.

Asia International Reports contributed to this story.

(China Daily 08/29/2015 page15)