Carlo Chionna, an entrepreneur from Bologna, currently represents in Italy an emblematic case of the return to a certain way of conceiving and creating Made in Italy, pursuing the quality of the product.
His enterpreneurial career began assisting his brother Alessandro, who in 1995 realized the lack of specific trousers for the sport he loves the most, golf, and brought life to the brand Jeckerson. The plus that characterizes these trousers is an insert in fabric or microfibre designed to dry the golf player’s hands before a swing.
Thanks to its uniqueness and elegance, the product crossed the borders of golf courses to establish in the high-quality sporty and casual clothing.
After one year and a half, Alessandro decided to retire, while Carlo continued ascending with the brand, achieving a huge success all over Italy and beyond, until Spring 2004, when some disagreements between the partners resulted in an auction, whereby Carlo won half of the brand value, that is 9 million and 200.000 euros.
Such an amount will later inspire the name of the new brand by Carlo Chionna, the 9.2 , born as casual trousers and developing in a rainbow of colours.
Committed in guaranteeing the origin and source of its products, the enterpreneur launched his new brand through a provocative advertising campaign to raise awareness on the Made in Italy crisis. “God save the Made in Italy” is the catchphrase, echoing the famous British motto “God save the Queen”.
In Summer 2010 a new advertising campaign popped up full-page on the most widespread Italian newspaper recalling the poster of the famous movie “Gladiator”: instead of Russell Crowe’s face there is that of Chionna, holding up the shield with the acronym Dsmy (“Dio salvi il Made in Italy”, that is “God save the Made in Italy”).
Awarded in 2010 with the Raffaello Award, Excellence of the made in Italy, for his commitment against falsification, imitation and “non-quality”, Chionna embodies an “Italian miracle” with his company that, though only relying on Italian companies from Apulia and Marche for raw materials supply, gives work, produces and create wealth with an annual revenue of 25 million euros.
In Francesco Festuccia’s book “God save the Made in Italy – A phenomenon’s story”, the Bolognese enterpreneur expresses his point of view on Made in Italy and explains his decision of promoting the country branding and producing entirely in Italy.
First of all he recalls that often high-end products by big firms are made abroad even tough with outragious prices: such reality is a dishonest move by the fashion brands, while it could be a vital choice for medium-sized enterprises with a little-known name and big numbers.
For this reason the Made in Italy emerges a san ethical and deontological issue, as “when there is a big image, we must always ask for high quality and fairness”.
Our products’ quality cannot be recreated in any other country, according to Chionna, because Italian craftmen rely on a long history of tradition and on a soul that distinguish them from any other productions mainly aimed at doing business. The added value of Made in Italy fashion is actually the culture involved in the productive process of each piece.
On the other hand, it’s necessary to succeede in communicating to the final consumer the product’s quality. Chionna has always cold-shouldered the traditional means of fashion shows, preffering unique and special events, aimed at meeting and getting to know the clients. Among such events there were two much talked-about cruises, one year after the other, with more than one tundre people, that crossed the Mediterranean sea, organized to launch the new collections involving clients, journalists and celebrities. Last but not least, a trip organized for more than 600 clients, coming from different regions in Italy, in such a beautiful naturalistic setting as Kenya.
In the most recent years, the enterpreneur has been carrying out another project, a kind of return to the origins: a shoe born exclusively for golf courses, but that is the productive process landed in the free time segment.
“It could be confused with a sneaker, it could be confused with a shoe, but an Italian footwear artwork is born”.
Remaining faithful at Made in Italy, with an elegance that only an enterpreneur deeply knowing his own product could give, together with unique details that have never been before.
9.2 Golf Pro was born this way, as the first footwear with an inserted golf ball to mark every step with its character.
And now… 9.2
Are you asking why?
The answer to such a question is only known by those who will wear a 9.2
