PSE 2024 Bartolomeo Rongone

Good morning, thank you for the previous interventions. I am always very fascinated by how the fashion world distinguishes itself, even simply in presenting the same topics, from other industries. I am standing here because I have the fortune to have the Minister here with us on the panel today, and I will close my intervention with a small appeal, and that is why I am in this position. I will do it by bringing the example of this extraordinary brand, Bottega Veneta, which I have the fortune to manage since 2019, to make you understand what Bottega Veneta is. There is a small video that I would launch if possible.

Thank you. I will begin by saying that there is no excellence without sustainability, as my colleagues who preceded me have said much better than I. I am not referring only to environmental sustainability but to the protection of people, cultural heritage, and their economic capacity. As part of the caring group, Bottega Veneta embraces its philosophy and that of the president and CEO François-Henri Pinault, who for over 15 years has been actively committed to sustainability at 360 degrees. Since 1966, Bottega Veneta products have been made to last long and be passed down from generation to generation, with a rigorous approach to quality, adopting a culture based on the concept of value and not volume. Bottega Veneta has always focused on responsible growth and is committed to preserving the heritage of innovation and artisanal mastery, as in the best Italian works. This excellent quality is accompanied by exclusive and timeless design that transcends the seasonality of collections and leverages extraordinary creativity. Not just know-how, therefore, but knowing how to dream, design, sketch, enrich, paint, sculpt, fuse the final product with the life of the person who made it. Every object is unique and celebrates the three letters of the prefix 'Art' in the word 'artisanal'. This is what distinguishes Made in Italy from Made in the rest of the world. Like many other Italian excellences, we have never abandoned this model. For us, craftsmanship is not a simple part of the production machinery, but the very essence, the principle of everything we do.

We are also extremely attentive to giving fair compensation to our employees, ensuring optimal working conditions for all collaborators. We offer a head generated by the collaboration of multiple actors united by extreme attention to detail. This allows us to create unique objects sold all over the world. In this context, the luxury price that is recognized for our product generates a return on the entire supply chain, activating a virtuous cycle of value creation. In social terms, the company must create well-being, return value to the community to preserve its territory, region, and the entire country. It is precisely for this reason that we feel proudly part of a system that grows with us and not for us. Bottega Veneta, as you know, is universally known for its no-logo philosophy conveyed through the iconic weave motif that you have already seen in the video, where the processing times depend heavily on the different manual skills of each artisan and the passion that each of them transmits to every single piece with every single gesture. Consequently, the time needed to create a product expands. For us, the highest form of luxury requires time. You saw it in the video: days are counted, not hours, to make Bottega Veneta bags, testimony to the superlative and lasting quality of our creations. We launched a few years ago the Certificate Craft, a unique service of guarantee, free assistance for selected iconic bags aimed at encouraging their use for a longer time, thus reducing the need for product replacement.

As I said, this approach goes hand in hand with the valorization of people and attention to their well-being, which have always been cornerstones of our corporate culture. Success and work ethics are indivisible for us and constitute the foundations of a philosophy that unites many of the realities that have made Made in Italy famous throughout the world, and we have some examples here today. The myth of Italian excellence that was created in the last century continues to be the engine of our economy. For this reason, it must be valued and promoted. Bottega Veneta has committed in this direction with the initiative 'Bottega for Bottegas'. Since 2021, indeed, every December we offer our visibility, Bottega known all over the world, to small artisan workshops to promote craftsmanship and creativity that are part of our DNA and Italian heritage.

We are also strongly convinced that preserving the Italian business culture means first of all working on training. I believe it is the responsibility of large companies to commit to the transmission of know-how and the valorization of manufacturing professions, whose importance and appeal are unfortunately not fully understood by young people today, as evidenced by the significant gap between labor demand and supply in our industry. Bottega Veneta has been active in training for a long time, having founded its first leather goods school in 2006, a testimony to its link with the traditional workshop, i.e., re-proposing in a modern key the concept of the Renaissance workshop as a place where artistic production and training school merge. In this context, last year we also inaugurated our Academy 'Laboratory Inn' (permanent laboratory) where our students can learn through training activities, workshops, and lessons. The program is guided by a community of Master Artisans and promotes that very close connection between manual work and creative experience. This initiative has had enormous success because today, in a globalized system, there is a strong concrete need and urgency to safeguard a local historical heritage of techniques, experiences, people, and artifacts, promoting its study and conservation. And it is for this reason that after the day of the institution by the Ministry of Made in Italy of the high school and the first national day of Made in Italy last April 15th, I believe the time is ripe to take a step forward and focus on the fashion sector. I would like the key players to work together with the Ministry, involving resources for the creation of a Museum of Italian Fashion, as a testimony and due celebration of this precious heritage unique in the world. A school and a museum are centers of accumulation and redistribution of knowledge. They are places of reflection and cultural regeneration that our country needs, because it should be us, with the participation of the State, to define and build our narrative. I conclude therefore hoping that my appeal arouses cohesion and enthusiasm, because only with everyone's contribution will this project finally see the light. Thank you and good continuation.