In order to understand today's success one has to learn the company's origins- Michele & Giovanni Bertini's present is actually woven with its past.
The company was founded in 1925 by Michele Bertini who immediately bagan the specialized production of the typical florentine straw hats. The company became very soon one of the main producers of straw hats in the whole florentine region-handmade hats and close ties with their customers being Mr Bertini's strongest suits.The company produced handmade straw hats till the mid 50's when Mr Bertini's offsprings Giovanni and Giovanna joined the company and began producing women's handmade bags in straw and natural fibers.The owners always had a keen eye towards international markets and began selling their products to the most important stores in Europe and In the U.S.-Sales of handmade bags peaked in the late 1960's at 2.5 million pieces/year fueled also by the Italian economic boom.
Upon the arrival of the 3rd generation of Bertinis-the company headed by Caterina Bertini (granddaughter of Michele)in the mid 1990's the company undergoes a radical modernization. Alongside the traditional products new handmade products in crochet,interwoven and macrame' s are created and sold to some of the most famous fashion brands in Italy and Internationally.
Since this change came about, under the helm of Ms. Bertini, the company began to regularly attend International fairs such as "Mipel" held in Milan and "Premiere Class" in Paris.Up to this point Michele & Giovanni Bertini snc was only producing items for Spring/Summer (straw, cotton, raffia, lurex and linen). But Ms. Bertini with a keen eye towards her customer's needs created a collection for Fall/Winter mainly based on wool and felt.The company has grown from being just a handmade hatmaker to a flexible, multiproduct international company able to adapt to the many changes of the market such as fashion, customer's needs, quality and colors without losing sight of its main staple that has been the same since day 1-making 100% handmade products all made in Italy.Today the products created by Caterina Bertini are inspired by the succesfull company collections from the 60's and 70's-the company keeps a large photographic archive of all past collections including the ones from decades ago.
These archives are stored and passed on from generation to generation and are responsible for the creation of some of the most succesfull hats and bags to date.The present collection of bags and hats are inspired by the great passion Ms. Bertini has for antique production methods such as crochet,interwoven and knits with a recurring element –wool-sourced from the nearby city of Prato, one of the main centers for everything wool related with approx. 9000 textile companies producing yarns, fabrics and knits.The newest addition to the line of products of Michele & Giovanni Bertini snc is the production of coordinates such as gloves, scarves, hats,necklaces and bracelets to complement the exisiting lines of hats and bags and furthermore emphasizes the ability of the company (and its current president-Caterina Bertini) to quickly adapt to the needs of the market without losing sight of its stron foundations of the past.
PHONE: +39 055 8739076 / +39 055 8739234
FAX: +39 055 8739421
E-MAIL: info@caterinabertini.it
Michele e Giovanni Bertini s.n.c.
Via Della Balduccia 30/32
50058 San Mauro a Signa
Firenze ITALY
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