Kering Makes Donation to Italy’s Emilia Romagna Region Hit by Floods
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MILAN — Kering said Saturday it is making an undisclosed donation to Italy’s Emilia Romagna region, which has been hit by widespread flooding that caused at least 14 deaths and left thousands of people homeless.
Kering follows in the footsteps of automotive giant Ferrari, headquartered in Maranello, also in the region, which donated 1 million euros to the regional civil protection agency.
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Kering said it is making the donation on behalf of its maisons, which include Gucci, Saint Laurent, Pomellato and Brioni, among others. In a statement the luxury conglomerate expressed its closeness to people hit by the floods. The group counts more than 13,000 employees in Italy.
Occurring 11 years after the Emilia Romagna region was struck by back-to-back earthquakes in 2012, last week’s exceptional rainfall is believed to have equaled half the annual average, leading to the deadly flooding.
As a result, hundreds of roads and bridges became unusable, with some towns cut off completely, and at least 36,000 people were left homeless.
Emergency workers, including local volunteers, are clearing streets of mud and although rainfall over the weekend is not expected to top levels of the past few days, the region remains in emergency mode.
The Italian government, which has earmarked 30 million euros in response to the event, is expected to declare a state of emergency in the region next week.
Emilia Romagna plays a central role in Italy’s fashion and beauty supply chain, as it’s scattered with manufacturing hubs across different product categories.
For example, the Modena area, which was only partially hit by flooding, is home to a renowned knitwear hub and the hometown of contemporary fashion brand Liu Jo. Over in the San Mauro Pascoli area, a storied footwear district, brands including Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti and Zasadei have established their headquarters, while Parma is home to Italian beauty company Davines Group. The Max Mara Fashion Group is headquartered in Reggio Emilia.
Alberta Ferretti and Moschino parent company Aeffe is also based in the region, outside Rimini, one of the most famous seaside destinations on the coasts of Emilia Romagna. The city was also hit by the exceptional rainfall with the railroad service currently interrupted.
Alberta Ferretti is planning to hold her resort 2024 show in Rimini next Friday to pay tribute to legendary director Federico Fellini and the Italian region, where the designer was born. The show, to be staged at the Fellini museum at Castel Sismondo in the city’s historic center, was confirmed at press time.
Fellow citizen Massimo Giorgetti, founder and creative director of MSGM, took to social media Friday to express his sorrow for the deadly event, posting a picture of a house submerged by water and mud.
“This is my land, it’s dealing with water and mud. There’s uncles, cousins and friends, that’s why what’s happening is particularly hurtful,” he wrote. “Ever more frequently and violently millions of people from all over the world face the consequences of the climate crisis some are turning a blind side on,” he continued, urging his followers, more than 220,000, to donate and help with the response.
In his Instagram Stories he also shared with his audience an existing fundraiser to help a local tailor — among the MSGM suppliers — rebuild his atelier.
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