Italy’s Fashion Brands and Chinese Entrepreneurship

Italy’s Fashion Brands and Chinese Entrepreneurship

In the 1990s, Prato, a historic city in Tuscany, Italy, faced a labor shortage and struggled to keep up with the fast-paced fashion industry. This challenge led to an influx of Chinese immigrants who collaborated with Italians to produce affordable garments, establishing Prato as one of Europe’s largest concentrations of Chinese immigrants, with one in four residents originating from China. Xu Qiulin, who began his career in fast fashion in Prato in 1989, exemplifies this narrative. Starting with a small workshop, he witnessed the Chinese population grow from a few hundred to 50,000.

The Chinese community in Prato evolved over time, transitioning from working in Italian factories to becoming entrepreneurs and establishing their own businesses. The Wenzhou community from Zhejiang province, known for its entrepreneurial spirit, played a pivotal role.

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While their contributions brought economic growth to Prato, tensions arose as cultural differences and work ethics occasionally clashed with Italian industries.

Lamberto Gestri, former president of the greater Prato Province, acknowledged the distinct vision and mentality of the Chinese community, emphasizing their strong emphasis on work and productivity. However, these cultural disparities sometimes led to conflicts, contributing to tensions between the two communities.

Daniele Cologna, a professor at the University of Insubria, attributed financial losses in Prato to the failure of Italians to adapt their business model to a globalized economy, rather than placing blame on the Chinese immigrants.

One such person is Xu Qiulin, whose connection with Prato goes back to 1989 when he embarked on a career in fast fashion.

Recounting his modest beginnings, Xu said his first workshop occupied an estimated area of 150-200 square meters in the city, and the space was divided into five or six rooms, each equipped with around five or six sewing machines, sometimes even a dozen.

“I had a team of two or three workers, and I actively participated in material sourcing and assisting them with their tasks,” he said. “Communication posed a challenge due to my limited proficiency in Italian language.

“When I first arrived, there were very few Chinese, only about five to six hundred. However, the Chinese population has now reached 50,000.”

His story highlights the significant growth of the Chinese community in Prato over the years.
In 2000, he ventured beyond the fast fashion industry and established a midrange clothing company called Giupel, which does some of its own designs.

Over time, the Chinese community in Prato has experienced a notable transformation, embracing the entrepreneurial spirit of their hometown, Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, while carving their own path.

“Wenzhou people are very smart,” Wang Zengli, a Chinese business owner in Prato, said. “After working in the Italian factories for a while, they realized it wasn’t difficult to operate such factories.

“Gradually, between 2000 and 2006, they all became their own bosses. Fast fashion reached its peak between 2005 and 2010. Almost the whole of Europe flocked here to place their orders.”

The influx of Chinese immigrants into Prato brought about economic growth, but also gave rise to feelings of grudge among some locals.

As the Chinese population continued to increase, these issues became politicized, with right-wing politicians making promises to take stronger measures against them.

Lamberto Gestri, former president of the greater Prato Province, said: “Prato has a long history of immigration, starting with internal migration within the Tuscany region, where people from other parts of Tuscany moved to Prato in search of employment opportunities. Later on, immigration from both the northern and southern parts of Italy also contributed to the city’s diverse population.”

But the arrival of the Chinese community brought a unique dynamic to Prato, Gestri said.

“The Chinese community has a distinct vision and mentality that differs from the Italian population. They have a strong emphasis on work and productivity,” he said. “These cultural differences have occasionally led to conflicts, as the Chinese way of doing business and their work ethic have posed challenges for Italian industries trying to compete. These conflicts have been one of the reasons for tensions between the two communities.”

Daniele Cologna, a professor at the University of Insubria and an expert on Chinese immigrants in Italy, said the blame for financial losses experienced by businesspeople in Prato lies with the Italians themselves.

“The fact that Italians were losing money had nothing to do with the Chinese; it had to do with the fact that the Prato garment district was unable to find a way to relaunch its business model in a globalized economy, and that is not on the Chinese, it’s on us, it’s on Italians,” he explained.

The story of Prato reflects the complex dynamics between immigrant communities and established industries, highlighting both economic contributions and the challenges of integrating different cultures and work ethics.

Source: China Daily