Ombretta Maffei, partner of Istituto Modartech.
The professional profiles that are most lacking are those attributable to manual activities, included in manufacturing (luxury), in all its branches: Dressmaking, Leather Goods, Footwear, etc. in particular High Range Dressmaking.
Always, those who undertake a dressmaker career are closer to the task rather than to promote themselves, are unable to stimulate young people and, consequently, we are witnessing a crisis of “vocation”.
The category is aging, there is no skilled workforce, these are cessations of activities that seriously endanger a traditional and artistic art that affirms the true Made In Italy, an afflicted craft, like many other crafts, due to the lack of generational change.
The High Range Dressmaking is a niche sector, but which has great market potential and can offer a future to many young people, because the average age of our tailors is very high: the need is to train new levers, who can work alongside them and continue the business or open new tailors on their own.
Being tailors means dexterity , but also creativity, relationship skills, understanding the tastes of a customer , so that we can help him in choosing the right suit for the occasion, the figure but above all capable of enhancing their personality. The model, the cut, the sewing are delicate phases to the exclusive competence of expert and capable hands.
The creation of a tailored garment requires that the tailor works many hours. Consequently, the cost is not within the reach of the general public and the tailoring products are qualified exclusive and “niche”.
My passion, born since my adolescence spent in contact with fabrics, laces, models and figures together with my sister seamstress, led me with will and commitment, to learn more and more about the craft, with private pattern making and techniques lessons of tailoring with expert tailors.
In 1978 I opened my tailor shop (workshop) in Florence, where we create bespoke suits: elegant, formal, romantic but also sporty, always using fabrics of excellent quality and natural, without ever neglecting the details, according to the haute couture tradition, satisfying Italian and foreign customers.
A path, mine, which continues with my daughter Beatrice; she too has made all of this a profession and in turn we are transferring it to a young lever.
We can say that our tailoring is the clear example of tradition, evolution of fashion and trend and generational change. My enthusiasm in exercising this work is such that I express it even when I compare myself during seminars with Institutions, Training Institutes, Professional Fashion Schools, arousing interest in young people in undertaking the craft of the tailor.
Ombretta Maffei: Founder of the tailor-made dressmaking company Ombretta Firenze; Active member of Accademia Nazionale dei Sartori; CNA Federmoda Manager, Tuscany tailoring referent; Master Craftsman, certified by Camera di Commercio.