Alessandra Lombardi

PAKERSON -Sutorius srl

The Pakerson story recounts the history of a brand, but first of all, of a family. For five generations, the Brotini family has been creating hand-made footwear. The first was Giulio, a descendent of an artisan family that in the 19th century had supplied the court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who in 1923 founded his shoemaking shop in Cerreto Guidi (Florence), which was the root system of a tradition later handed down from father to son. In 1946, Giulio's son Luciano transformed the workshop into a manufactory and in 1958 adopted the Pakerson brand name. Luciano Bortini's project was carried forward by his sons Andrea and Antonio, who for many years also held important posts in the major Italian and European footwear sector associations. The brothers are the company's current owners, together with Gabriele and Elisa, the first exponents of the fourth generation. This family and entrepreneurial history still continues, pursuing the ambitious aim of creating luxury Made in Italy footwear and of promoting-in Italy and above all abroad-the value of that "artisan excellence" that has so strongly contributed to the success of Italian products throughout the world. The added value that descends from one-of-a-kind manufacture has won the brand a substantial following on the U.S. market-and now in Russia as well. The New York showroom opened in the early '80s was a major conquest, and now the Pakerson boutiques are taking Eastern Europe by storm: St Petersburg, Moscow, Kazakhstan, and Kiev. But Italy always remains Pakerson's reference market.