Habanero-leathercraft with passion and devotion

We trekked through parts never travelled, all we want to do is create our own path and allow our foot prints tell we were here. It is always a walk to remember, the memory is still engraved in our hearts. It is almost typical of those who want to change the status quo, those who are successful, passionate and want to affect people’s lives in positive ways. This is a story of an Italian family who had contributed to the fashion industry.

It all dates back to 1957. At age thirteen, Mr. Magagna started work as an apprentice in a well known leather workshop in Padua. He had learned from the best craftsmen of that time, and within a short time he was challenged to make his first solo collection.

His first was inspired by his mother, whom he saw one evening fixing an old and beloved dress. Thinking about the simplicity of his mother, the first model piece was a clutch laid out with simple cloth. It was a success because never had people seen such innovative twist. They were used to seeing bags created in leather. His first collection was a tribute to his mother and his love for floral pattern. From then, down to this day, each piece created by Habanero brand is an addition to a creative stimulus, as well as an emotional experience.

The Habanero brand is built on passion responsible for binding the family business together, and in this passion Davide was born. It is not a surprise that he possesses the same passion as his father, as we had a very interesting conversation with him.

Spy News Magazine: Can you tell me about your brand, where did the idea come from?

David Magagna: Habanero is an idea that came in thanks to many years of experience in the Italian handicraft work environment. The main goal of the brand is to create high quality products made with the best Italian raw materials and manufacturing.

These accessories (bags, belts, wallets etc) are for people who are looking for something special, something they cannot find in a department store.  Each customer for us is a world, someone to be taken care of by our staff and whose requests must fulfill as much as possible; that is what makes our products unique. People who buy a HABANERO bag or accessory want to be different, and perceive themselves as ’standing out of the choir’.

Spy News Magazine: Tell me a bit about yourself, about your professional path?

David Magagna: My name is Davide, and I’m the youngest member of a generation of leather artisans with a long tradition. My love for this job traces back to my early childhood, when I used to run and play in my father’s workshop among the workbenches and other machineries.

My love for beautiful things and my attention to refined details started in that time. In my mind  I can still feel  the smell of leather in my nose or I can still hear the sounds of the machines in my ears of those days … and that makes the difference I guess, it is something that got into my DNA. My family and I used to work for the main international brands, then with this new brand HABANERO since some years ago, I’ve tried to start something new that was completely mine: my own collection, my own brand.

Spy News Magazine: What are the greatest sources of inspiration for your works?

David Magagna: Many things give me inspiration, first of all traveling. Not necessarily overseas travels, even a one-day- trip spent finding out a new place or meeting people can give me a hint. I must say that I can also find something that inspires me from everyday gestures or from the actions we do routinely.

Sometimes I simply stop and observe with different eyes. Last but not least my town, Padua. This town is rich in history and art, a wonderful place in which water, buildings, colours and people intermingle constantly in thousand of different ways. I also try to conciliate the past with the present, so I like to try new materials or new kind of leathers. In Italy there are the best tanneries and I visit them every season. They have new types of leather worked with new methods and it is always a joy to go and find something new.

Spy News Magazine: How do you want people to feel when they caring your bags or wear your shoes?

David Magagna: Each one enjoys and gets pleasure differently, in his own way. Some don’t want to be noticed and look for the understatement, others like to be noticed and to be in the spotlight continuously. We would like the people wearing our bags and accessories to be special in their own way, according to their particular attitude and feelings.

That Is possible because we give the chance for our customers to be part of the creative processes, by listening to their needs and desires and making them our priorities. Maybe we can say that the exact word for expressing all that I’m describing is ‘exclusiveness’. 

Spy News Magazine: I truly believe that whatever you do, your job is to tell your story. How are you telling your story leveraging social media?

David Magagna: Habanero story -as I told you before- it is a long story. Since the 50’s my father started working as a leather craftsman with passion and devotion. His attention to each step of the production, (design, prototype, choosing of material, details etc) his love for what is ‘perfectly done’, his dedication to work passed to his sons through a continuous process made of observation, learning and love for this work. Many years of sacrifices and a hard work have been also remunerated by many achievements and satisfactions (my father’s story can be read on our web site).

Spy News Magazine: What plans do you have for the future of the brand?

David Magagna: Our work is not only making high quality product for chic customers, but  also trying to create what we call a ‘purchase culture’; our challenge is to involve the customer into the process, to explain the way we work and do things, making them completely aware of what they’re are buying. My greatest satisfaction is when I show a customer the product they ordered, and they get excited and joyful seeing that their bag or belt from a simple idea became real. I do hope in the future that HABANERO could be such an experience for more and more people.

Spy News Magazine: Where can we buy the bags? Can we shop online?

David Magagna: We make our products in Padua, Italy. We have a brand shop in the center of the city (Via del Risorgimento, 28), where it is possible to buy our bags and experience what I’ve talked about so far. We sell online too, on our website leborsemadeinitaly.it, you can choose the model and also ask to be contacted by our staff. This way, you will receive support for any requests in personalizing your purchases.  Next Spring Hanbanero bags will also be sold in some shops in Milan, Rome, and in Switzerland in Lugano.

by Anderson Azugbene