Quietly understanding Attila Kiss, one must first grasp the suffocating embrace of 1980s Hungary. Here, in a land where “choice” was a capitalist myth, every loaf of bread, every pair of shoes, bore the same stamp of state ownership. “You didn’t select,” Kiss recalls, his voice still edged with the old frustration. “You acquiesced.” His family, like all others, navigated a world scrubbed of differentiation—a world where ambition withered under the glare of collective sameness.
Yet even then, he sensed the cracks in the system: the quiet rebellion of a mother bartering for secondhand jeans, the illicit thrill of a Western radio broadcast. These flickers of autonomy would later calcify into a philosophy: Chaos is not an obstacle. It is materia prima (raw material).
Arriving in Italy as a teenager, closing the doors of a budding professional sailing career behind him, Kiss found himself adrift in a new sea, this time of contradictions. Milan’s fashion houses flourished in a delicate balance of creative chaos and refined elegance; Tuscan winemakers worshipped tradition while courting global markets. For a boy raised on Soviet pragmatism, the transition was less cultural shock than existential unraveling. “I became a detective,” he says, describing those early years. “Every gesture, every negotiation—a clue to decipher.” He learned to parse the hieroglyphics of Italian hand gestures, to distinguish the simpatico from the manipulative. His name garnered curiosity.
As he was being rebuilt in Italy, he discovered that adaptation required not mimicry but reinvention. “The Italians,” he muses, “they think with their hearts first. To lead them, you must speak to the heart—then justify with the mind.” This early learning is a critical understanding of the Italian mindset that guides his work today—presiding over an ecosystem of seeming contrasts: Gruppo Florence, a coalition of family-owned Italian luxury manufacturers, each a sovereign state of ego and tradition.
One may picture Medici princes forced to share a throne—but this is not the case. Kiss navigates the responsibility of presiding over 40 family businesses with the delicacy of a bomb defuser, asking questions designed to lead them—gently, inevitably—toward the future of Made in Italy. “We’re exploring new languages, entering new segments, and showcasing our manufacturing know-how with visionary spirit.” With great wealth comes great responsibility, and for Kiss, this responsibility is not a burden. It is a privilege and legacy. “To stop adapting is to die,” he reflects from our interviews in Florence and Rome, sharing his thoughts on life in Italy, the Gruppo Florence story, leadership, and the future of Made in Italy.
A Visionary Enterprise
Founded in October 2020 by three visionary companies that initiated the creation of an investor consortium, the Group has grown under the leadership of CEO Attila Kiss to unite 38 entrepreneurial families into a single industrial platform. Today, Gruppo Florence stands as Italy’s leading integrated luxury manufacturing hub. In May 2023, private equity firm Permira signed a binding agreement to acquire a majority stake, while the original entrepreneurs, management, and VAM reinvested significantly, and Fondo Italiano d’Investimento retained a minority share.
Under Kiss’s leadership and chaired by Francesco Trapani, Gruppo Florence has grown into a guardian of Italian craftsmanship, serving over 100 top global luxury brands. With 70+ production sites across nine Italian regions, 4,800+ employees, and a 2022 turnover exceeding €670 million, the group manages the entire supply chain—from design and prototyping to engineering and quality control.
Producing over 7 million items annually (55% of the manufacturer’s production value in the global luxury sector), Gruppo Florence reinforces Italy’s dominance in luxury manufacturing. More than just a manufacturer, Gruppo Florence is a strategic partner, blending tradition with innovation to elevate the industry.
Protecting Living Heritage
At its core, Gruppo Florence is built upon invaluable expertise inherited from companies that embody profound Italian value. These workshops are not merely factories but repositories of centuries-old traditions, where artisans serve as custodians of Italy’s cultural and manufacturing patrimony.
“We are not collectors of companies,” Kiss explains. “We are architects of a new ecosystem where craftsmanship meets cutting-edge technology, and survival hinges on adaptation.” The mission is urgent: to shield Italy’s family-owned workshops—the unsung heroes behind luxury’s shimmering façade—from the relentless pressures of globalization and generational decline.
How did COVID provide the conditions for Gruppo Florence to be awakened?
A.K:When we started during COVID, no one was in their comfort zone. The pandemic taught us the world could change overnight— the future felt utterly uncertain. In Italy, the impact was severe. Many were dying, and everyone realized life had changed. In this crisis, we built deep bonds with our founders. We forged human relationships that remain our foundation today.
Like a family going through difficult times?
A.K: Exactly. I met the three founders’ families, saw their dynamics, and shared their emotions. This intimacy became part of our com- panies. Gruppo Florence was born in 2020, Italy’s hardest year—but that adversity shaped us.
Family business is a delicate beast. I see you like King Solomon, holding so much responsibility and having so much wisdom to deal with many families. How do you see that responsibility?
A.K:Thank you for this definition. It’s very important to under- stand that when you manage a company, the relationship is always important. It’s important to have a personal relationship in leadership—not authority, but to lead people, let them follow your ideas and not just impose them. Gruppo Florence is a human relation- ship story—more than technical issues, more than organizational issues, much more a human relationship story.
How do you manage the coexistence of so many individualistic personalities?
A.K: From the beginning, we created a governance structure where all entrepreneurs transfer 100% control of their company
to the Group and simultaneously acquire a stake in Gruppo Florence, becoming minority shareholders. Pooling the interests of the entrepreneurs was important because they became partners among themselves. We were fortunate that our first entrepreneurs immediately placed immense trust in the project. We’ve introduced a managerial team from the fashion sector and created constant interaction between entrepreneurs and managers.
Do you see your career and life experience as a leading up to the position you are in now — managing these family companies now?
A.K:Yes, it can be. This is probably the first time in the history of the industry that 40 Italian families work together and transition from owners to managers. It’s a kind of retro-engineering of their minds. In all my life, I learned to work with managers and tried to make them more entrepreneurial. Now I have the inverse: I have entrepreneurs who have to learn how to act like managers. They feel their company is still their own because they created it, their mother created it, their family created it. I don’t need to push them to be entrepreneurs—they are entrepreneurs inside. Now they’re becoming more and more managers.
Gruppo Florence has grown exponentially—38 manufacturers, nearing 5,000 employees. What’s the endgame?
A.K: I believe we never arrive at an endgame—we must constantly evolve and improve. As a B2B player, our goal is to create value for our clients. In our core business, we aim to be a strategic partner for leading luxury brands and a benchmark in their product develop- ment and production practices. But I think we can go even further by offering new and innovative services that brands will appreciate, expanding the scope of our traditional business.
We achieve this through four strategic pillars: Manufactura – Our artisanal and industrial heritage. Auxilium – Our sustainability pillar, where the Group provides infrastructure and a dedicated team monitors over 1,000 suppliers to ensure they meet environmental and social standards. Academia – Training the next generation of artisans. Enzyme – Experimenting with innovation in product development, services, processes, and organizational design. AI-driven digitalization supports all these.
What led to Permira, the international investment giant, acquiring a majority stake in May 2023?
A.K: A financial partner provides support for further growth and seizing important opportunities. Finance is fundamental to support industrial strategy. We’re ambi- tious—we have much to offer brands with services we’re still developing. A partner like Permira significantly strengthens us and brings great experience in the sector. This step wasn’t planned, but gives us great added value in resources, knowledge, and professionalism.
In an industry where many heritage manufacturers struggle to adapt, how do you balance preserving traditional artistry with the need for operational agility in your model?
A.K: There’s no room for complacency, but as Gruppo Florence, we have several cards to play. First is the quality of our craftsmanship, which is difficult to replace, accompanied by production flexibility. Another is diversification—we produce a wide range of items with different dynamics. We work with a wide range
of clients for greater balance. The centralization of functions results in cost savings. A platform like ours is in a much better position than a standalone company.
Critics argue consolidation stifles the ‘human touch’ of small ateliers.
A.K: We dedicate significant effort to preserving both the artisanal skills and approach, as well as the family culture of our companies. First, we ask our entrepreneurs to continue leading their businesses. While they’ve become shareholders at the group level, they remain as managing directors of their original companies. All these divisions are located in small countryside towns, deeply connected to their local communities and cultures. Our people share the same traditions and often speak the same dialects. We don’t change these values—we protect them.
How do Artificial and Artisanal Intelligence work together?
A.K: By combining the established maestria (mastery) and sartorial abilities of our people with cutting-edge technology and digital tools, Gruppo Florence aims to preserve traditional knowledge while evolving manufacturing processes for the highly demanding luxury sector. The question isn’t whether traditional craftsmanship can survive modernity. But whether modernity can survive without it.
You’ve called sustainability a ‘deal-breaker.’ How does Gruppo Florence lead here?
A.K: Luxury’s dirty secret? Supply chains account for 90%
of emissions. Our Auxilium program standardizes circular practices—like recycling 98% of fabric waste—and shares costs smaller firms can’t bear. Brands can’t claim eco-goals without a transparent pipeline. We’re their enabler.
Stay connected with our newsletter, straight to your inbox!
Join our community and get the latest updates, insights, and exclusive content delivered to you twice a month.
What synergies are you working on?
A.K: Our aggregation creates multiple synergies. The most evident ones come from optimized finance and administra- tion managed by a central CFO, along with centralized IT, HR, and ESG manage- ment. However, we also develop strategic synergies in core activities like product development and production. While we’ve chosen to maintain these core activi- ties within individual divisions, we actively share knowledge and capabilities across the group. This collaborative approach enhances our performance in creative sup- port and reduces production lead times.
How is the Italian luxury production chain doing?
A.K: It’s subject to various threats. Small businesses no longer have capacity to face current challenges alone—digitalization, sustainable development, reputational risk issues. Brands are increasingly demand- ing toward SMEs. The other major threat is loss of skilled labor. Young people no lon- ger want to do these jobs, and know-how is being lost. There’s a big problem regarding generational transition.
How do you plan to manage generational transition within your companies?
A.K: We focus on three key groups: entre- preneurs, mid-managers, and technicians/ workers. Our comprehensive 360-degree training program addresses each level with tailored solutions.
How did you manage people who never had a boss?
A.K:They may see me as a boss, but I also consider myself an entrepreneur. I strive
to understand them—their thoughts, their perspectives. These entrepreneurs built successful companies, and I deeply admire them for that. I respect their achievements, just as they respect our shared rules. Most importantly, they’ve learned to respect one another.
Several entities like yours have emerged recently. What differentiates you from the others?
A.K: I observe several distinct approaches to supplier aggregation in our industry. Chanel‘s Manufacture de Mode pioneered this model, while LVMH Métiers d’Art has similarly invested in its suppliers. This vertical integration aims to protect savoir-faire and preserve capabilities for potential future scarcity. However, brands will always outsource most production for practical reasons: excessive verticalization limits co-creation, creativity, and operational flexibility. Other aggregations pursue independence, sometimes using investment funds to acquire majority stakes while leaving founders with minority shares in their original companies.
In these cases, individual entrepreneurs don’t hold shares at the group level. Our approach is innovative. We believe industrial synergies require consistent financial architecture: we acquire companies entirely, then have founders reinvest in the Group. Currently, our entrepreneurs collectively own 30% of Gruppo Florence. This structure aligns all shareholders toward common goals. We’re not merely a collection of companies—we’re a united venture.
For entrepreneurial successors, we’ve created an immersive program that includes rotations across group companies. This ensures smooth generational transitions in family-run businesses while protecting continuity—a value that benefits
all stakeholders, including employees. Mid-managers receive customized coach- ing in both managerial and soft skills through tailored development plans. For technicians and workers, we operate inter- nal academies while also partnering with local high schools near each factory. We enrich these programs with our expertise, technologies, and materials. Currently, we collaborate with sixteen schools, with plans to expand to fifty institutions.
Behind every luxury fashion creation lies the skilled hands of artisans whose stories often remain untold. Gruppo Florence, the industrial platform preserving Italian manufacturing excellence, is changing this narrative through its ambitious documentary series Le Mani della Moda (The Hands of Fashion). The first installment, which premiered during Milan Fashion Week in September 2024, takes viewers on a journey through Italy’s hidden luxury landscape.
Directed by Peruvian filmmaker Cayetano Garcia Sahurie and starring Anglo-French model Inès Céline— both students at Central Saint Martins School of London—the documentary follows Céline as she travels alongside Italian creatives Silvia Napoli and Olivia Brighi to discover the craftsmanship behind luxury garments. This road movie explores five representative companies within Gruppo Florence’s network: Ciemmeci Fashion and Mely’s for clothing, Antica Valserchio for soft accessories, Taccetti footwear, and Facopel hat-making.
The project emerged from a collaboration between Raffaella Scimeca, Gruppo Florence’s Chief Marketing Officer, and Roger Tredre, director of Central Saint Martins’ Fashion Communication Master’s program. The documentary has already gained international recognition, reaching finalist status at fashion film festivals in the UK, Los Angeles, and Istanbul, with patronage from Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Altagamma, and Regione Toscana.
Building on this success, Gruppo Florence recently announced that Polimoda, the prestigious Italian fashion institute, will create the second chapter of the series. Selected by a technical commission including industry leaders like Carlo Capasa (CNMI) and Sara Sozzani Maino, Polimoda’s proposal stood out for its creative vision and talent roster. The production will continue exploring Italy’s luxury artisanship, with the second film premiering at Milan Fashion Week in September 2025.
The documentary series represents Gruppo Florence’s strategic commitment to bringing younger generations closer to the manual professions that constitute Italy’s unique luxury heritage. By spotlighting the nearly 5,000 artisans across 38 workshops who create prestigious fashion pieces for global luxury brands, “Le Mani della Moda” aims to preserve and celebrate the irreplaceable human capital behind Italian craftsmanship excellence.
How do you ensure that the traditional techniques and cultural knowledge embedded in your workshops are authentically transmitted to these students, and what role do your master artisans play in bridging the gap between institutional learning and the lived experience of the atelier?
A.K: This partnership with Polimoda couldn’t come at a better time. It’s a perfect platform to showcase what Italian hands and minds can create—that blend of technical mastery and creative spirit that’s uniquely ours. But showcasing isn’t enough. We’re actively safeguarding this legacy by training within our own walls and building bridges with the schools where future craftspeople are honing their skills. With “Mani della Moda” (Hands of Fashion) every Gruppo Florence company plans to adopt schools with targeted investments. Currently we’ve adopted twelve schools, but our goal is fifty institutions.
Rumors swirl about an IPO. Is that the ‘destiny’ you hinted at in 2023?
A.K: Destiny is a compass, not a map. Going public could fund our next phase: digitizing every stitch from prototype to delivery. But today, we focus on perfecting the machine— because luxury’s future isn’t just about products. It’s about permanence.
In an industry where many heritage manufacturers struggle to adapt, how do you balance preserving traditional artistry with the need for operational agility in your model?
A.K: There’s no room for complacency, but as Gruppo Florence, we have several cards to play. First is the quality of our craftsmanship, which is difficult to replace, accompanied by production flexibility. Another is diversification—we produce a wide range of items with different dynamics. We work with a wide range of clients for greater balance. The centralization of functions results in cost savings. A platform like ours is in a much better position than a standalone company.
Are you satisfied with where you’ve taken the company so far?
A.K: From many points of view, we’re at the beginning. But considering what we created in four years, I am very happy. Many things I wanted to create in the first year, we still didn’t create. Sometimes I realized I cannot just click and change. Maybe some ideas I wanted to realize in the beginning, I understood were not the right ones. Sometimes we have to learn that not everything you think in the beginning is right.
You emanate confidence in your projections, are you immune to doubt?
A.K: We have to have doubts, always. Having a vision and having doubts is not incomplete. You can have a very good vision and still have doubts. Anyone without doubts… I have doubts and have to be open to understand. Every day I learn something from everyone. The vision is always shaped by the doubts. I feel where to go, but I have to be open to change ideas about where to go or how to arrive.
What are your expectations in this new scenario?
A.K: We’re extremely attentive but calm because of our values. Our know-how and ability to solve production problems cannot be found elsewhere. Those who need to focus on top quality cannot do without Made in Italy, and Gruppo Florence is certainly an excellent representative of it.
As we move toward this necessary harmony between human and machine intelligence, what concrete steps should we take today to develop leaders who are ethically prepared to steward this partnership?
A.K: The future is in the harmony of, not competition between, human wisdom and technological advancement. But this partnership demands responsibility. The greatest threat isn’t intelligent machines, but leaders unprepared to guide them ethically.
