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Italian luxury goods brand Furla may be an international sensation, but the company has retained the ethics of a small, family-run business. Ruth Mortimer meets president Giovanna Furlanetto
Giovanna Furlanetto is Italian to the core. As the president of luxury goods company Furla, she has a mission to bring her nation's particular brand of good taste to the world. "In Italy, we have beauty, harmony, culture and elegance in our DNA," she laughs. "I probably breathed it in without knowing it."
Whether the good Italian air is responsible or not, Furla has certainly made its mark on the world. The brand has charmed its way into 56 countries, while its largest international markets are in Japan and the US. But despite its size, the company is still family- run - in the best Italian tradition.
"Our main asset is our brand," explains Furlanetto in a husky, accented voice. "It's internationally known and I'm proud of this because we've made a huge investment as a family and a company over the years to build it. We aren't listed so we're investing our own earned money."
Furlanetto's obvious passion is unusual when you consider that she has been leading Furla for seven years and working within it for around 40 years. You might expect her to be ready to...