At the end of the 1980s, a "colorful and seductive" mandarin duck landed in viale Papa Giovanni XXIII and took the place of the Latteria Valseriana, "a true icon of Bergamo".
Together with the Urban District of Commerce we met Grazia Lorenzi, the store manager, to get to know the history of the store up close.
Mandarina Duck - historic bag brand - started in Bologna in 1977 thanks to the intuition of Mr. Paolo Trento. In Bergamo, more precisely in Cologno al Serio, was the company that produced and created its new fabrics, such as the famous "rubberised canvas" of the trendiest backpack in those years. A passing of the baton in the city centre between icons of a flourishing time.
It is the first time that, by speaking about the historical businesses of Bergamo’s merchants, we do not meet the founders or owners of the business directly.
But Grazia is different. She narrates this story as if she had created it and with the gratitude of those who have been able to make a path of personal and professional growth over the years that, undoubtedly, has nourished her gaze and her life.
She is an eclectic woman, passionate about design and modernity. Not surprisingly, she loves climbing mountains.
In her twenty years at the service of this brand she has been able to appreciate its technical and aesthetic qualities.
“Beauty is culture,” she says, “and that's what interests me most. I don't focus on selling more but on sharing an experience, doing something different and having fun."
A few months ago she started a collaboration with the Liceo Artistico Manzù in Bergamo and together they built an exhibition inside the shop about Fabrizio De André.
“I was in class with the kids and we talked about art, music and advertising design. They then created graphic, drawing and sculpture installations that were exhibited inside the shop and in the shop window. They were beautiful!"
For her, collaborations are occasions for happy contamination and help to enrich curiosity and not get bored.
Grazia, in her role of responsibility, also takes care of the three collaborators: Mascia, Claudia and little Giorgio - the newest and youngest member of the team. "We are three women and a handsome man," she says with the pride and affection of a true pack leader.
"Maintaining harmony within the group is an important challenge for me, and I know that in order to do so, I must first set a good example. I also have to learn every day: empathy, communication and teamwork."
And that’s why suddenly you urge everyone to learn a little Russian, to be more welcoming to tourists.
Foreign customers now make up 25% and for Grazia this becomes an opportunity to learn new things, set new goals. "The linguistic difficulties created barriers in the relationship and learning just a few words was enough to make them smile.”
Grazia focuses a lot on the figure of Mr. Paolo Trento, entrepreneur “of the past" who looked far ahead, investing in people and research.
"He was a visionary and with him the company was a real family for me."
Today the founder of Mandarina Duck has created an Eco Village in Valmarecchia (Rimini) where he continues to give voice to his passions: sustainability, good relationships and innovation.
We conclude by asking Grazia what she would have done if she hadn't met the company she has worked for for twenty years. She replies without hesitation: "I would have worked with art and ecology."
At the end of the 1980s, a "colorful and seductive" mandarin duck landed in viale Papa Giovanni XXIII and took the place of the Latteria Valseriana, "a true icon of Bergamo".
Together with the Urban District of Commerce we met Grazia Lorenzi, the store manager, to get to know the history of the store up close.
Mandarina Duck - historic bag brand - started in Bologna in 1977 thanks to the intuition of Mr. Paolo Trento. In Bergamo, more precisely in Cologno al Serio, was the company that produced and created its new fabrics, such as the famous "rubberised canvas" of the trendiest backpack in those years. A passing of the baton in the city centre between icons of a flourishing time.
It is the first time that, by speaking about the historical businesses of Bergamo’s merchants, we do not meet the founders or owners of the business directly.
But Grazia is different. She narrates this story as if she had created it and with the gratitude of those who have been able to make a path of personal and professional growth over the years that, undoubtedly, has nourished her gaze and her life.
She is an eclectic woman, passionate about design and modernity. Not surprisingly, she loves climbing mountains.
In her twenty years at the service of this brand she has been able to appreciate its technical and aesthetic qualities.
“Beauty is culture,” she says, “and that's what interests me most. I don't focus on selling more but on sharing an experience, doing something different and having fun."
A few months ago she started a collaboration with the Liceo Artistico Manzù in Bergamo and together they built an exhibition inside the shop about Fabrizio De André.
“I was in class with the kids and we talked about art, music and advertising design. They then created graphic, drawing and sculpture installations that were exhibited inside the shop and in the shop window. They were beautiful!"
For her, collaborations are occasions for happy contamination and help to enrich curiosity and not get bored.
Grazia, in her role of responsibility, also takes care of the three collaborators: Mascia, Claudia and little Giorgio - the newest and youngest member of the team. "We are three women and a handsome man," she says with the pride and affection of a true pack leader.
"Maintaining harmony within the group is an important challenge for me, and I know that in order to do so, I must first set a good example. I also have to learn every day: empathy, communication and teamwork."
And that’s why suddenly you urge everyone to learn a little Russian, to be more welcoming to tourists.
Foreign customers now make up 25% and for Grazia this becomes an opportunity to learn new things, set new goals. "The linguistic difficulties created barriers in the relationship and learning just a few words was enough to make them smile.”
Grazia focuses a lot on the figure of Mr. Paolo Trento, entrepreneur “of the past" who looked far ahead, investing in people and research.
"He was a visionary and with him the company was a real family for me."
Today the founder of Mandarina Duck has created an Eco Village in Valmarecchia (Rimini) where he continues to give voice to his passions: sustainability, good relationships and innovation.
We conclude by asking Grazia what she would have done if she hadn't met the company she has worked for for twenty years. She replies without hesitation: "I would have worked with art and ecology."
