Factory visit in Toscany, Italy

As you might know, these last six months have been very challenging for our industry. Due to covid-19 pandemic, our factory in Italy was closed for several months which had affected our production schedule. Despite these difficult times, we are so grateful for our partnered factory keeping the production schedule before its summer holiday.

With this delay and the pre-production quality control in the factory pushed back to mid-July, I decided to go there together with the whole family for spending vacation in Tuscany in the wake of these 2 days’ work.

Andiamo!

Guess how we travelled?

Worried about air flight delay and worst, cancellation due to covid-19, we have opted for the good old train! Quite a long trip but you get entertained with 3 kids! Hahaha!

After the train, the car heading to Florence. No need to say that a ‘gelato’ pit-stop was mandatory on the road, and every 3 hours, whatever before or after each meal!

Our daughters are quite aware of our business, attending several tradeshows, seeing me drawing and embroidering, acting as models for our catalogs… But it is the first time to visit a factory and especially, a factory that collect old cashmere sweaters being recycled into new fiber. They can see the whole process until the final new knitted sweaters. A circular process with a low impact on environment, something that speaks to them! I keep explaining we have to rethink our way to dress and our way to create fashion, reason why b&t changed its full concept. How pride and joyful I was introducing them how we create cozy, soft and quality knitwear, viewing all the different stages and meeting stakeholders in a decent working environment.

 

Our Italian partners were so nice with our daughters, becoming the mascots of the day.

We felt blessed to have this family trip like running a family business…