Italian luxury brands making their mark on the world – The successes of the Made in Italy brands was once again discussed in the business pages of the major papers worldwide. So the spotlight shone on the reports from Prada, which showed a record turnover during the first six months of the year, particularly thanks to a rise of sales in Asia. That news was not only covered in newspapers from the region, such as Taiwan’s China Post (August 8 – Prada sales in first half climb higher on back of strong demand in Asia), but also covered in another country very interested in Italy’s luxury goods, the United Arab Emirates, in the English language Gulf News (August 6 – Prada boosted by higher demand in Asia, tourists).
Another Italian brand, Tod’s, was the subject of an article in Le Figaro. The French paper described the famous shoe manufacturer’s good health thanks to sales in Asia and the United States (August 8 – Tod’s en forme grâce aux États-unis et à l’Asie*). The strategies of the jewelry group Damiani are further proof that Asian sales are profitable for Italian luxury goods. According to The Hindu Business Line, the jeweler is planning to set up shop in India (August 12 – Italian jeweller major Damiani seeks entry into India’s retail business).
Monti’s challenge to Europe – “Bravo!” was the conclusion of an article that Le Monde dedicated to Mario Monti on the front page of its August 12 edition (Mario Monti, l’homme qui ose l’Europe*). The Parisian paper claimed that “the man who challenged Europe” has, together with ECB President Mario Draghi, the courage of a real European. That opinion was also held by other Old World publications. On August 16, Spain’s ABC underscored the efforts by Italy’s Prime Minister to offering an alternative to German rigor (Monti se propone como la alternativa a Merkel en Europa), while the Portuguese Publico saw Monti as a central figure in the construction of a “European cathedral” (August 16 – A catedral europeia de Mario Monti*).
The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on August 14 on the Italian public deficit (“Italy’s domestic investors could be its saving grace”, affirming that an increase in the share of domestic investors could save Italy from being infected by Spain). Finally, the New York Times ran an article on Italy’s efforts to stop the brain drain and attract new graduates, Simplifying Italy to lure global graduates (August 13), which cites some examples of virtuous academic institutions, including IMT of Lucca.
Italian journeys – This being August, there was no lack of articles on Italian tourist destinations. El Pais trotted through the Maremma (“Al trote por la Maremma”, August 24, an article that also included a “Small guide to “being Tuscan”), and Die Welt – on August 21 – celebrated Emilia. The article “La Traviata und Tortelli – die Emilia tischt auf” was a tribute to a region that is not only a symbol of Italian cuisine, but also the homeland of music and theater.
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration