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Francesco Maglia, handcrafted umbrellas since 1854

Updated: May 8



The artisanal art of Francesco Maglia


Ripamonti street, Milan. It is down a flight of garage steps, away from prying eyes, that you will find the Francesco Maglia umbrella workshop, handcrafted since 1854. This is where professionalism, care and craftsmanship blend completely with the warmth and care for the customer that only a family-run business, in the sector for generations, can provide. Don't be surprised, therefore, if at the entrance you are greeted by the overwhelming energy of the mascot Fufu, a gorgeous Weimaraner, and the good coffee prepared by the owners ready to lead you through what can be likened to a true sensory journey.


Francesco Maglia

A young entrepreneur, Francesco Maglia is a passionate craftsman. He grew up breathing the tradition of creating fine umbrellas and now runs the family business.

Francesco tells us how he started making umbrellas for fun when he was about 10 years old, but his latent passion soon turned into his future job. Growing up in the company meant that his eyes became accustomed to absorbing and capturing the movements and phases of work; but only the hours of manual work brought him to a high level of mastery and attention to detail.

In particular, Francesco explains how the training process takes several years to work on every single component of the umbrella. From 6 to 8 years to learn woodworking and mechanisms. For the tailoring aspect, the training is just as long, we're talking about 4 to 6 years in which you learn both manual and machine techniques. But only sacrifice and dedication have brought Francesco the satisfaction of being able to collaborate with major Italian brands, French maisons and luxury watchmakers. Such collaborations, Francesco explains, are both a pleasure, a necessity and an incredible opportunity. This is because through them you have the opportunity of continuous research, of going beyond the classic product, of the search for perfection even in terms of technique. Yes, a small company but one that works with leading companies in their respective fields.

Such success and humility led us to ask what it was like to be the entrepreneur of a company that had seen him grow. A sudden smile appeared on Francesco's face as he proudly confirmed how difficult but at the same time rewarding it can be to entrust one's company to extremely trustworthy and united people.


Modus Operandi & Product

The balance between past traditions, present-day waterproofing techniques and metalworking expertise results in a product that is 100% sustainable, anti-allergenic and compliant with import regulations.

In creating their own umbrella, customers can let their imagination run free and let themselves be guided along a path that starts with the choice of woods and fabrics and then moves on to the cutting area. Each model, for men and women, has its own size and fabric, depending on requirements.

The choice of wood includes national (ash, olive, hazelnut...) or imported wood with certification documents, including from countries such as Canada (maple wood) or Indonesia (malacca wood). The fabrics, on the other hand, are entirely produced in Como on the company's own looms; the processing ranges from yarn-dyed to jacquard. The plaques are completely handmade and can be embellished with gold, diamonds, palladium... Although, for Francesco, the object should remain precious, but simple, otherwise the function itself is distorted.

It is easy to deduce, therefore, that the customer has a real experience in creating his own unique umbrella. It is undeniable, therefore, that true luxury lies behind the experience that is sold to the customer and not just in the mere quality of the product.


Customers

Francesco tells us that the clientele is 80% male, but the trend in recent years has been to attract a female audience thanks to the tailoring service. There are many American and Asian customers who are fascinated by the sector and at ease in the company can choose the fabrics and every detail of the umbrella. Ninety-five per cent of the customers are university graduates who enjoy important jobs and a good cultural background. And this is why, sometimes, requests that are too banal turn out to be unsatisfactory as a result of a lack of culture on the part of the public.

And it is precisely on culture that Francesco Maglia's assumption is based, according to which the purchase of his umbrellas is not only based on the principle of functionality, but on the desire to own a work of art. Considering it as an investment in a repairable object that will last forever, it is easy to deduce that this is also a sustainable choice; the objective, in fact, is to have customers who buy the object not for replacement but out of a desire to create a collection.

Francesco confesses how nice it is nowadays to see young university students, customers and children coming to repair their grandfather's Maglia umbrella, a family umbrella in which an emotional bond is placed.


"Everything that has value should be treasured".


It was inevitable to ask Francesco what was the most special request he had ever received from a customer. He smiles with amusement at an 85-year-old gentleman who asked for an umbrella with a small sword; it's funny how the frail applicant started playing with this unique and special object.


Passion & Beauty

The sincerity and naturalness of the company is striking, while Francesco Maglia's words disarm:


"If you are not moved by an important passion, it is difficult to create beauty, especially in the material work of creating the object".


Total in-house production, more than 120 handcrafted processes on a single umbrella and the desire to make the public aware of the criteria for evaluating and creating the product make this reality so unique and full of value.





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