‘My company, which has been in existence for 116 years, is a leather goods company specialising in the creation of luxury bags, all still handmade according to the ancient techniques of the Milanese leather goods school in our workshop in the centre of Milan,’ he says. ‘That’s how my passion was born, playing since I was a child among the artisans’ stalls. Seeing them create beautiful luxury items of the highest quality, it was impossible not to be fascinated!’
What convinced you to dedicate yourself to the world of handicrafts?
‘Handicrafts are part of my family’s DNA. On the one hand I didn’t want to see all this die, on the other hand I wanted to be able to have my say and let my creative vision shine through the products. What I try to do every day is to preserve and hand down the ancient craftsmanship techniques, while at the same time trying to modernise the products, making them suitable for modern needs and tastes’.
In your work, what relationship do you establish with the customer?
‘A relationship based on trust and a shared love for “handmade” and craftsmanship. Especially when the customer asks for a customised product, she very often asks me to help her find materials and colours that best suit her needs. For me, it is always a great pleasure to be able to help my customers choose products that they can love and use in their everyday life or for special events. They trust me and my taste and allow me to enter their lives with my products, and there is nothing that gives me greater satisfaction.
What are your sources of inspiration?
‘I usually find inspiration in our archive, both for metal accessories and materials. Often the idea comes from an accessory with a particular shape or workmanship, or from fabrics with unique embroidery or colours that catch my eye and stimulate my creativity. My goal is always to create products that my customers can love and that can be companions in their daily adventures. For me, the beauty of handicrafts lies in the uniqueness and authenticity of each creation. These are not mere commercial products, but true works of art, the result of skill, passion and craftsmanship’.
Which designers, past or contemporary, are a reference for you in your creative process?
‘Among my favourites are certainly Schiaparelli, whom I have always admired for his irreverent taste, but also Manolo Blahnik, for the quality of his products and all the innovations he has brought to the accessories sector over the years. Not forgetting Vionnet, which meets my aesthetic taste perfectly, with its combination of tradition and innovation and its style of clean, elegant shapes.
What is your most iconic creation?
‘Definitely the Queen model, because it perfectly expresses the brand’s principles of elegance, cleanliness and craftsmanship. For this SS24, the Queen Mid ‘1000 flowers’ variant stands out among all, made of a sustainable canvas called ‘wild tussa’, composed of untreated cotton and silk. This unique raw canvas proves to be a perfect base for the multicoloured flower embroidery made with more than 30,000 stitches, an expression of the high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that characterises all our products. The bag is completed by our iconic gold-plated clasp’.
Tell us about your most recent collection?
‘The AW 24/25 collection is inspired by a beautiful, bright desert night, in which the colour gold in its different textures and colour nuances is the main colour. Iconic is the ‘Constellations’ embroidery, which illuminates the black and navy blue velvet with embroidery and rhinestones and which recalls the wonder of a starry sky. For Spring-Summer 2025, which I will present in September, on the other hand, there are lots of novelties coming – from the return of a footwear capsule, to important collaborations on which I cannot yet give spoilers and which will involve completely different product categories from the world of accessories’.
What are the brand’s target markets?
‘The distribution of my products has always been concentrated above all in Asian countries, which immediately proved to be akin to my stylistic taste. The main retailers in these areas are luxury multi-brand boutiques located in China, Korea and Japan. As far as Italy is concerned, we started to increase distribution in the territory last December, with a collaboration with the PozziLei boutiques in Monza and Treviglio, and the Santagatha concept store in Noto. We have also maintained relations with the historic boutique Colognese 1882 in Montebelluna, and in the coming months we will inaugurate the collaboration with Vietti for the boutiques in Arona, Domodossola and Gallarate. In Milan, on the other hand, we have always been present with our factory showroom, which customers can visit to see live and order our articles, and until 1 July with a pop-up store on the 4th floor of Rinascente in Piazza Duomo. Finally, our e-commerce www.amatodaniele.com remains active worldwide’.
How important is sustainability?
‘For us, sustainability is fundamental and we try to address it as best we can, but we do it differently. We do not focus on using only sustainable materials, but more on conscious production. We avoid deadstock and produce almost exclusively to order, minimising waste. We select materials very carefully, avoiding all 100% polyester and the like. In addition, we are careful to reuse all production leftovers for the creation of accessories and small leather goods, such as belts and wallets, minimising waste’.
How, in your opinion, is the world of accessories changing?
‘Over the years, the demand for branded products has grown, with the spasmodic search for the brand name and the saturation of the market by standardised articles. The result has been to cast more and more shadow over handcrafted products. What I try to do, in my own small way, is to work to bring attention back to Italian craftsmanship, our know-how and unique quality products. I believe that by enhancing the quality and uniqueness of creations and communicating them better also through social media, we can succeed in arousing greater interest and appreciation for artisanal products as well, demonstrating that there is still a market willing to recognise and buy manufacturing excellence.
If you had to go out shopping today, which shop would you go to and what would you buy?
‘I would definitely go to PozziLei in Monza, in Via San Pietro Martire 1. I have a very deep affective bond with this place, it is the boutique where I bought my first luxury items and which I have always admired for its style and selection of products. PozziLei also does a lot of research, offering the right mix of luxury and innovative niche brands. I would definitely rely on them to find the perfect jacket or shoes, which could be from Valentino, a brand that never tires me out, as well as a new brand’.