Design and sourcing in Italy
Scandinavian design is often made in Italy: fabrics from Como and Biella, leather from Tuscany, lighting and furniture from Brianza. The first hire is rarely a designer in Milan. It is a product developer or quality controller who spends half the week at suppliers.
Usual CCNL
Textile and clothing industry (Tessile-abbigliamento) for product and production roles; Commerce and services for showroom, retail and wholesale.
Roles
Product developers, sourcing and production managers, quality control, designers, pattern makers, showroom and wholesale managers, furniture and lighting designers.
Where
Milan for design and showrooms. Districts: Como (silk), Biella and Prato (wool), Florence and Arezzo (leather goods), Veneto (footwear), Brianza (furniture).
Salary bands
| Role | Gross annual salary |
|---|---|
| Product developer | [€ range to verify] |
| Sourcing / production manager | [€ range to verify] |
| Showroom manager | [€ range to verify] |
Points to settle
- Your person at the factory. An employee on your side checks quality, samples and deadlines at the supplier. Your company does not need to own anything in Italy for that.
- Design rights. Contracts assign designs, samples and confidentiality to your company, so collections stay yours.
- Freelancers are common, and a risk. Many designers invoice one brand on a VAT number. Working only for you, to your schedule, makes it employment in substance. We convert them.
- Fair and fashion-week peaks. Milan Design Week and the fashion weeks need extra people for a few weeks. Fixed-term contracts cover this, within limits on length and renewals.
- Part-time works. Senior pattern makers and quality controllers frequently split their week between several brands. Part-time contracts are simple.
- Sustainability reporting. A local employee is often how Nordic brands gather supplier data for their sustainability reporting.
Cost example
A product developer in Florence on [€ gross]: salary, contributions, 13th month, TFR, supplier travel on actuals, plus €250 a month. The calculator gives the base cost.