Fruit of the collaboration between two passionate families, an internationally designer and a team of outstanding craftsmen, the Bianchi e Nardi 1946 collection writes a new chapter in the history of the Toscan House.
Its handbags, named after famous Italian writers – Manzoni, Dante, Biggi, Bartoli, Canova,…- are synonymous with excellence, refinement, flair and modernity.
The Bianchi e Nardi 1946 handbags and accessories collection, true objects of desire, stands out by its distinctive and daring identity.
Defining features:
- Prime quality exotic skins (grade A, certified)
- Sophisticated whimsicality inspired by modern art
- Audacious mixes of materials and colours
- Sensuous souplessness
- Exquisite craftsmanship
- The agata stone, pearl shaped, as lucky charm
The very first season takes its roots in the serene beauty of the Toscan hills, borrowing its warm hues from woods, the countryside and the soft northern sky. An unexpected correspondence emerges betwen the organic texture of the tree bark and the sculptural patterns of crocodile skin.
From these glorious encounters, « Forest » - the collection’s first theme - is born.
HISTORY
THE EARLY YEARS
The business was founded in 1946 through the intuition of two leather craftsmen, Mario Bianchi and Aldemaro Nardi. The enterprise started life in a small workshop in Florence where outstanding manual techniques were employed in the production of bags in leather and also in crocodile, ostrich and lizard skin.
Bianchi e Nardi was formally established in Florence in 1946 by Mario Bianchi and Aldemaro Nardi, two expert leather craftsmen who had learnt the trade in the workshop of Mario Scuri, one of the most famous artisans in the city in the 30s. Friends as well as partners, the two had begun to work together even before the company became official. Bianchi was famous for what they called his “golden hands”, unrivalled in his ability to transform a sketch into a model, a piece of leather into a finished bag. As Aldemaro, nine years his junior, was wont to remark: “Mario Bianchi was my first master, and he taught me how to make linings and purses, how to cover the zippers with leather and how to assemble them. I would sit down at the workbench, and little by little I learnt how to set in the zips.”
During the war the fame of the two master leather-workers already began to spread through the city. And word even reached the ears of Guccio Gucci, who was at the time specialised in horse saddles and was on the lookout for suppliers for his bags. “In 1941 leather was impossible to get hold of,” recalled Aldemaro Nardi, “and so I made up five bags in felt, put them into a suitcase and went off to show them to Gucci. His interest was aroused by the fact that I was a youngster and he looked the bags over carefully again and again, observing the expertly-executed stitching, and in the end he bought the whole lot.” Now as then all the Bianchi e Nardi production, including that entrusted to suppliers, is carried out in the Florence area.
In the 50s the new company expanded rapidly. It began to work for customers both large and small – first the Italians and then foreigners, starting with the French. Mario Bianchi managed the production, while Aldemaro Nardi bought the skins abroad and sold the bags all over Italy. The customers greatly appreciated the firm’s ability to work the most precious skins – ostrich, lizard, crocodile and tortoise – which were purchased in Paris and imported into Italy.
THE 60s
Construction of the new factory in Scandicci-Florence, which is still the headquarters of Bianchi e Nardi today.
The quality leap came in 1965: Bianchi e Nardi moved from Florence to the industrial area of Scandicci where the new factory was to be built.
The first generational passage occurred in 1975, when the sons of the founders took over at the helm. In the meantime, the leather goods market was beginning to experience profound changes. Many of the old shops suffered a sharp drop in business with the consolidation of the designer labels that were able to manage entire production chains, from raw materials through to marketing, via networks of single-brand boutiques.
THE 90s
The baton passes to Marco Nardi, Massimo Nardi and Mauro Bianchi.
In the early 90s the sons of the founders decided to transform the enterprise into a holding company with two distinct businesses: the traditional production of bags in reptile skin or nappa leather under its own label was continued in parallel with the production of high-end collections on contract for third parties, which allowed the company to operate at international level in the role of consultant and partner of the leading global brands.
It’s the finishes that make the difference, the techniques through which the precious skins are treated: crocodile, ostrich and python skin are hand-padded, coloured and tanned using special chiaroscuro techniques. The use of agate stone to punch the crocodile skin by hand is a classic example, as is the method of ‘ironing’ the lizard skin, which is considered the finest on the market.
TODAY
The third generation and a new brand for luxury bags.
The third generation of Bianchi e Nardi, embodied by Laura, Alessandro and Andrea Nardi and Giulia and Gabriele Bianchi, forges ahead with the development and innovation of the company. This has led to the creation of “Bianchi e Nardi 1946”, a young and contemporary label featuring the company’s own luxury bags production. Collections in which shapes, materials and workmanship come together in a top-bracket product, symbol of the unrivalled quality of the Florentine leatherwork tradition.