A past to be valorised and modernised to support a future to be built with the contribution of new generations. This is the philosophy that guides the new course of Schmid, converter of excellence in fabrics and materials for the footwear and leather goods sector. "We are trying to focus a lot on the reworking of certain materials from the past," explains Valerio Baiardo, CEO of the company since 2020. Our ability is precisely that of starting from already good basic materials and renewing them with additional processing'.
An approach that has accelerated over the past three years with Baiardo's arrival in the company. "We became aware of the need to refresh the collections," he explains. "We realised that the company, founded in 1942, was relying heavily on its bestsellers, losing some of its dynamism and proactive capacity. So we focused on the renewal of certain products such as tulle, nets, vinyl and jacquard, but also on reuse products and those with Grs certifications, and on natural fibres such as cotton and silk, which arouse great interest'.
A renewed focus on sustainability, therefore, which 'is not just a search for new materials but also the reuse of materials that are still good, adding a few new elements,' says Baiardo. This is not a form of saving but of respect for the company's history'. Precisely in order to valorise 'already known' materials, a collaboration was established with the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, thanks to which the students of the Textile Culture Course put themselves to the test in reworking some fabrics.
"The result was a contest, whose winners will be awarded a scholarship, from which very interesting ideas emerged," explains Baiardo. "We found some real talents, some did an internship with us and one is continuing her career in the company. It is important to draw from the new generations: the risk of a historical company is to repeat the same experiences for too long; counting on the fresh ideas of young people instead allows you to deal with unconventional solutions that are often really valid'.
