The last feature in our series from the book ‘Mannequins: Bonaveri: A history of creativity fashion and art, looks at the history of the company from it’s inception as a family run business.
Bonaveri celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2013 and the publication of the book is a tribute to that achievement. In post-war Italy, many young designers were making small steps toward creating a unique vision of Italian craft. They were the forefathers that started the production of works that are now iconic participants in Italian design heritage.
No less so the work of the Bonaveri’s. The heritage and DNA they infuse into their mannequins is evident in the photography that records a timeline of evolution. Gianluca Bauzano explains this in the book:
The strength of our Made in Italy label is linked to what the English-speaking world refers to as “heritage.” In short, the tradition that lies behind a company. Its history, along with skill that never neglects its artisanal DNA, yet nonetheless seeking innovation. But while this is a general way of looking at things, it is only when we delve deeper into the details that we can clearly understand just what this expression means: we understand why our Made in Italy heritage has that extra something that makes it quite unique in the world.
– Gianluca Bauzano
That evolution is especially evident when you take a closer look at the entire company. The Bonaveri’s have moulded their organisation from a dedication to their craft and a pride in their brand.
The more than half a century of the life of Bonaveri – the Ferrarese company will be celebrating its sixtieth anniversary in 2013 – is an excellent example of this. It is a story poised between reality and dream. The reality is the ability, decade after decade, to transform itself from a small artisan workshop into an internationally famous company with branches in the four corners of the world.
The story does not end here. In fact Bonaveri is in the midst of an exhibition and event entitled ‘The Journey’. It’s a celebration of new work, but at the same time a reflection on what has gone before – an acknowledgement of the foundation principles that the company has defined.
And it should come as no surprise that the amazing story of Bonaveri started almost by chance in a sculpture workshop engaged in making carnival masks.
– Gianluca Bauzano