Artisans are still at work
I remember 25 years ago when I used to bring my mom’s shoes to the “calzolaio” (shoes repair man/leather crafter) to get them fixed or to get some holes made on my new leather belt. 
I used to look at the handmade leather bags in display and spend hours looking at him, silently working away. Where is that man gone? Where is that little business moved to? Well the answer is that it simply stopped running, the request for the man services went down further and further by the day, since my little town (not so little in size) nearby Milan fully entered the industrial revolution and embraced the “buy, use and throw away” culture.
Yes, in a matter of about 10 years, every crafter shop (leather, wood, traditional garments) in the area, have disappeared, where to?, I don’t know, but surely not closer to the now MASSIVE shopping mall, which dominates the entire district and further more. No matter where you are, shopping mall cloud is over you to stop people from getting irradiated by the beautiful spring sun which has inspired dozens of men and women crafters in the previous 200 years. “Sorry maybe a little to drastic, but …”
Now, the good news is ARTISANS ARE STILL AT WORK. But where?, I don’t seem to see any, anywhere, anymore. The answer is “on the internet”. Hell yeah! More and more services have been created over the years to allow artisans to expose their work, not only to the local community, basically nowadays lobotomised by the shopping mall marketing syringe … but to the world, to the places where handmade still means something, to the places where people know that they deserve something made for them, uniquely and for the specific required use.
Some people say that nowadays handmade products are for rich people only; I say handmade products are for conscious and reality aware people. Let’s simply do the maths: shopping mall bag 80 EURO, lasts one season, maybe 2 VS handmade bag 140 EURO lasts 10 to 15 years depending on use. Which bag is cheaper?
I am not sure whether I am right to make the above comparison, there’s more to it than price to many things we buy everyday … still, it really buggers me, when some people justify their lack of awareness by disassociating themselves from a group or class “only for rich people”.
Anyway, this is it for today, I have got a really good leather bag coming up, named Ronda, when it will be up on my website at www.chiwitdesign.com, I’ll let you know.
Ciao and please “comments”, I’d like to know your opinion.
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