Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
December 9, 2024
Struggling Bally is restructuring its operations. After announcing 65 redundancies in Switzerland last month, the Swiss luxury label is planning to close its production site in Italy, located in Lastra a Signa, on the outskirts of Florence, cutting 55 jobs. Bally’s decision was made public by the trade unions and confirmed by the local authorities.
“On December 5, the legal representative of Bally Studio Srl announced the closure of the Lastra a Signa factory, without making any safeguarding provisions for the 55 employees, all of whom have been dismissed,” the unions told the local press.
On Monday December 9, the mayor of Lastra a Signa, Emanuele Caporaso, said he had been informed by the unions “of major problems related to the continuation of Bally Studio Srl’s local business activity. These problems were then revealed as extremely serious, when [Bally’s] owners announced they would proceed to close down the site.” Contacted by FashionNetwork.com, Bally Studio Srl has not yet replied.
The tough market situation has seemingly accelerated the Swiss label’s crisis. Its former owner, Luxembourg-based German group JAB Holding, had been trying to sell off Bally for a few years. The label was finally ceded this summer to California investment fund Regent LP. Following the sale, CEO Nicolas Girotto left the company, and Ennio Fontana took charge in October.
In the meantime, Bally embarked on a major overhaul of its organisation, starting with its headquarters and production site in Caslano, in the Ticino canton of Switzerland. In November, Bally dismissed 65 employees from its administration and manufacturing departments, out of a total of 250 working at the corporate headquarters established in 2000 by Lake Lugano.
Bally was founded in 1851 in Schönenwerd, in the canton of Solothurn. In recent decades, the label has diversified into leather goods and ready-to-wear. Bally shows its menswear and womenswear collections, designed by Creative Director Simone Bellotti, at Milan Fashion Week.
Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Like the Beatles before them, a slew of British brands are taking the US by storm with their whimsical dresses and cosy knitwear.The Guardian’s journalism is