Alberto Candiani, global manager of Candiani Denim, is a vocal advocate for sustainable R&D and transparency in the denim industry.
Last year, as part of the mill’s 80th anniversary celebrations, Candiani hosted its first Open Mill Day, allowing the industry and media to tour its facilities located inside a nature reserve just outside of Milan.
“I just wanted to be as transparent as I could, so I opened up the mill to everybody,” Candiani said. “Nowadays it’s all about certificates and paper work…I have the impression that if you really want to see something, you should go and see it. I think you shouldn’t just be happy with a piece of paper telling you it’s okay, it’s fine the way they do it.”
As the mill’s fourth generation leader, Candiani says he feels responsible to uphold his family’s business and reputation for quality fabrics. And unlike previous generations, he’s focused on growing that business with a more sustainable footprint.
Candiani has also been vocal about investing in technologies that make the mill a more efficient operation. “We are investing a fortune in new technologies and new ingredients,” Candiani said. “Of course we are adding costs, but in the medium- to long-term we should become more competitive because of our investments and the new technologies we are acquiring.”
And it’s for these reasons and more that Candiani was named one of Rivet’s 50 most influential people in denim.
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