Innovation in tradition

Hi, I’m Chiara Giannandrea, Hoplites technical production manager and founding partner; I was lucky enough to be born and live in a very flourishing production district in the clothing sector, in Puglia. I started working very early and, at the time (we are talking about the 80s), in my hometown many girls went to work in the various workshops as soon as they finished mandatory schooling. In some cases by choice, in many by the economic needs of the family and in others by a total lack of alternatives. In my case it was a choice dictated by family needs. Mind you, I have always liked this job a lot, but fundamentally I hated the way it was set up at the time in companies: it was not focused on the professional growth of employees, but only on productivity at all costs. I have always thought that this work could be carried out in a different way, that it would allow all employees in the sector to grow professionally and to carry out their work in a way that is not only rewarding but also much more qualitative. I didn’t know it then, but the germ that would lead to the birth of Hoplites S.r.l. it was formed already in those years. Many girls of my age have had a similar experience, many over time have then set up small artisan workshops, some of which still exist today and have begun to collaborate with our Hoplites production group. In those years, many girls and boys were formed who learned and handed down traditional sewing processes both by machine and by hand. This tradition is still alive in some districts of Puglia and thanks to this we can realize clothes and workmanship that are loved and appreciated all over the world because, thanks to our commitment, we have managed to build perfectly compatible collaborations among artisans having very small workshops even of 2 o three elements, with much larger workshops, succeeding to combine the manual skill of craftsmen with the industrial skills of medium and large manufacturing companies; this means being able to offer our customers a quality that re-proposes in all its beauty the tradition of centuries through the hands of our artisans who have inherited this treasure of knowledge, combined with the modernity provided by laboratories in possession of machinery updated to the latest technologies. We have selected (and continue to select) the best laboratories, those that have the right mentality, motivating their employees and allowing them to work in stimulating and healthy environments; through these precious collaborations we have created a real network of professional skills, which can be modulated according to the customer’s needs and organized according to principles inspired by the highest quality through flexibility, efficiency and reliability. A real guarantee of serenity for any brand that decides to entrust both its collections and productions to us.