About Crafted Society

Did you know that the 'Made in Italy' label does not always mean that the product is actually made in Italy?  Confused? Let us explain.

It is common practice within luxury fashion to produce almost an entire product in a country where labour and raw materials are considerably less expensive, before finishing the final production step in Italy. This is done so that the product can be labelled 'Made in Italy' and sold with the higher price which the label commands. The practice of cutting cost & quality corners is now threatening the very lifeblood of craftsmanship, the livelihoods to the artisans themselves. We felt this was not right.

Our commitment towards transparency ensures every Italian artisan who works on our products is acknowledged and remunerated fairly for their craft and expertise.

We don't just label our products 'Made in Italy', we 100% prove they are.  

Let's talk about Aldo - he is the master weaver at our cashmere weaving company. They call him the loomwhisperer as he can hear through the sound of 20 operating looms (which is very loud!) if anything is wrong and if so, hears exactly what is wrong with which loom. It has taken him decades to perfect this skill and needs to pass on his knowledge to the next generation as he is approaching old age. He will not be at Lanificio Arca - our cashmere wever for much longer, so who will take his place?

What all Master Artisans have in common is the challenge to identify the next generation of apprentices. The youngest apprentice at our cashmere weaver is forty five years old and has been 'learning' for the past twenty years. Through dedication, training and perseverance, the apprentice may one day become the Master.

By joining our Crafted Society, you too value the poetry created by the hands of excellence. You will be helping us towards scholarship programmes aimed at educating the next generation.

Our quality control is a meticulous process, known as our Gold Standard towards excellence.

We choose only the highest quality materials and cut no corners on cost. Our leathers are sourced from some of the leading certified Italian tanneries with our outsoles manufactured by the leading Italian rubber sole company Margom S.P.A. Even our shoe boxes are sourced from small Italian artisans just 10 kilometers from our sneaker atelier.

Our cashmere is the finest in the world and the fibres originate from Inner Mongolia's certified suppliers. They are then spun into luxurious yarns by the best spinners Italy has to offer.

The hardware, which is often produced in cheaper countries, is also proudly crafted in Italy. Buckles, closings and other brassware are all crafted by master brownsmiths in the Marche region.

Our gold standard raw-material selection delivers an exquisite quality for an unrivalled price but we will let you be the judge of that.

Fashion duo, Lise Bonnet & Martin Johnston, set out in 2016 to fuse their passion for design & craftsmanship with their personal commitment to create a transparent new-luxury company. The outcome of their passion is Crafted Society.

"We had a dream of starting our own company, where we could run it the way we wanted to, with our own personal ideas and values of what a good business should be. We have always been a bit contrary and do not like the secrecy surrounding the (luxury) fashion industry. Secrecy about production, but also pricing -what's up with those crazy margins? One always has to wonder where brands make their products, and under which circumstances. Made in Italy is not always made in Italy as you can read below.

We like transparency, honesty and fair pricing. Easy to say you may think. Indeed, many brands talk about it, but not many prove they are. These days it seems like every company is sustainable and socially responsible, but are they really? Talk is cheap and don’t we know it. We took the difficult route, by being completely transparent we can not cut corners (nor do we want to) so 100% made in Italy, means Italian hands but also Italian leathers, Italian outsoles, and even Italian dustbags. All this comes at a price, literally, but you know, you truly get the quality you pay for. And with us keeping our margins low you don’t have to break the bank to get access to our beautiful product.”

Martin & Lise