Art Lab, At the service of the most prominent fashion brands

Based in Santa Croce sull’Arno (Pisa province), ART LAB was conceived to be a true artistic workshop (hence, the acronym of the name) at the service of the best fashion brands – the result of an industrial project kicked off in ‘90s, later redesigned and upgraded. Established in 2013, the Tuscan enterprise can rely on a team of skilled technicians, who have turned their work into pure art, able to constantly develop new, customized solutions. The three partners – that is, Andrea Balleri (whom we met at the corporate headquarters), Ilaria Sassetti and Dario Tatoni – boast a long-standing experience in the sector: a close-knit, determined team, a strategic factor that has contributed to the firm’s soaring growth in the last few years.
“At the beginning, there were 13 employees,” explained Balleri, “now 64: we always say that this is a large, extended family, a feat confirmed by these figures. We kept on growing even last year, despite the health emergency and the two-month closure during the lockdown: compared to 2019, we registered a rise in the proceeds, a steady trend over the years, thus reaching €5,5 million in 2020. The corporate team features several talents, so much so that there is no turnover: as the years go by, the employees acquire more and more experiences and skills. We believe in people, we will keep investing significant resources in the human capital: this is our flagship, a key asset to keep up our competitiveness.”
Can you tell us more about your core business?
“The two key specialization areas are manual finishing and digital printing. The firm’s steady commitment to research is grounded in the in-depth knowledge of traditional leather finishing products that tanneries send us. Such articles are finely finished in various ways, via airbrush, buffing, inkjet, and other techniques, either manual or mechanical. All the processes are carried out in-house, ranging from preparation to finalizing and testing, a distinctive trait that helps us stand out on the market. We are able to provide the complete finishing cycle, thanks to cutting-edge equipment and machinery: manual airbrush and manual painting systems for whole hides, for cut and/or woven fabrics, as well as transfer paper application systems used with laminate foils, sequins, lacquers, transfer designs and polyurethane films.”
More specifically, what services do you supply?
“Digital printing in all its forms and options: UV, “Eco-Solve”, acid dyestuffs, and pigments. Depending on the type of article to be manufactured, we pick the most suitable printing technique and ink, on every kind of support. Innovation is in high demand in the fashion sector and brands pick highly creative partners: ART LAB team can provide an ample range of solutions, able to meet any printing requirements, in compliance with the customer’s needs concerning the final features of leather.”
What about your clientele?
“High-end brands account for 95% of our clientele. For us, it is a constant challenge aimed at always finding room for improvement, resulting in significant investments: in the last two years, we have purchased an ample area, adjacent to our borders. After tearing down the boundary wall, we have joined the two facilities, thus creating a single large plant taking up a surface of 4000 sqm. This expansion has led to a marked improvement in our production capacity: as a matter of fact, thanks to larger spaces, we can handle higher manufacturing volumes. Santa Croce is the core of the Tuscan leather district, home to plenty of mid/small-sized enterprises. Featuring an overall floor area of approximately four thousand square meters, we have grown into one of the cluster’s most prominent firms logistics-wise.”
Have invested resources in entrepreneurial activities too?
“Yes, mainly in state-of-the-art techniques so as to provide the clientele with a comprehensive range of services. We have strengthened our key, historic business sector, that is, airbrushing, a field in which our skills are widely praised especially when it comes to nuances and degraded shades. We have dedicated resources to the purchase of spraying booths and we want to support technicians, given that this is a difficult, purely manual task. At the same time, we have been focusing on High Frequency, a fairly recent business: we have implemented four important machines, HF, that, by using electricity at a certain frequency, help develop 3D rounded effects.”
What are your prospects for the future?
“As stated by its name, ART LAB has become a leading R&D firm: every year, we invest significant resources, in order to identify and launch new technologies, and to foster the development of increasingly innovative solutions. Said growth is strongly linked to our ability to manage in-house every type of finishing technique: it is no longer necessary to rely on different companies with specific skills. Fashion stylists can turn to us to combine or test multiple procedures. For instance, it is possible to match manual airbrushing with high frequency or digital printing.”
You have signed an agreement with another tanning district, an innovative as well as historic initiative. What can you tell us about it?
“The combination between two different philosophies, Tuscany and Campania, embodied by Santa Croce and Solofra, listed among Italy’s most prominent tanning districts: this is the starting point of EVOLUTION LAB, that is, a network of companies without legal subject, that brings together Art Lab and MC Quadro, headquartered respectively in Santa Croce sull’Arno and Solofra. We have been working for years with Campania-based firms, yet we wanted to further shape the partnership with this agreement. The collaboration between high-profile enterprises is undoubtedly an asset, a key trend even during the health emergency.”
What was the market feedback?
“Our customers are quite satisfied with this initiative, as it guarantees reliability and peace of mind. Now they can rely on single reference point, a sole manager for multiple manufacturing companies: to take up such a crucial role is synonymous with quality and professionalism. When it comes to the type of leather, Solofra is more specialized in the processing of sheepskins, our firm deals mainly with cowhides and the finest hides: depending on the kind of article, we can benefit from the most suitable know-how. Without forgetting that the finished product is often the result of the combination between different techniques, the latter requiring quality controls performed in distinct locations: now ART LAB can take care of everything in-house and the chance to carry out the finishing phase in Santa Croce is a priceless added value.”
One last question: what can you tell us about certifications?
“A few years ago, we succeeded in getting the ISO 9001 certification, whereas, last February, we completed the certification procedure for our in-house Analysis Laboratory, where we can launch innovative ideas as well as carry out, thanks to the state-of-the-art equipment, three specific tests: Bally (flexing-resistance test), Veslic (rub test for colour fastness) and Martindale (wear and abrasion resistance test). Last but not least, we are digitizing the production process, resulting in the automatic traceability of every single phase.”
www.artlabsrl.eu

Andrea Balleri