art Rep f

03/09/2018

CERERIA MIGONE, FROM CHURCH TO FASHION

On 20 August, the Repubblica "Economia&Finanza" published an article dedicated to Migone 1866

Its products were originally candles and church lights, a sector in which the company both dominated and maintained national leadership. Yet in recent decades the Florentine Cereria Migone 1866 waxworks, which has always upheld a strong tradition of craftsmanship, has moved into the production and distribution of “artistic candles”, scented candles and objects of design for exquisite gifts and merchandise commissioned by leading brands in the fashion , luxury goods, jewellery, furnishing and gourmet food sectors: from Gucci to Tod's, form Pomellato to Riva motorboats to Faliero Sarti, Jil Sander, Antinori, Pink Memories, Roy Rogers, J.K. Hotel Capri and Florence, Patrizia Pepe, Acqua di Parma, Industria London, Nicolas Aubagnac Paris and Zef Paris. In 2016, the ancient Florentine waxworks chose to celebrate its 150th anniversary with the launch of its own label: “Migone 1866”. The first product to be launched was a cylindrical candle weighing 190 grams, designed in the “liberty” style of the early twentieth century logo. Scented with a fragrance designed by one of the best Italian essential oil specialists, it was enclosed in captivating packaging and bore a retail price of 40 to 50 euro. Other creations soon followed. Indeed, own label product sales now represent 20% of the turnover (just under 2 million) of a company with a glorious past and impressive figures.

“Our brand is proving successful in around fifty stores in Italy and abroad including specialist perfume stores, concept stores, high-fashion boutique clothing outlets for men and women and spas, but it will take at least five years for these products to become truly established,” comments Francesca Migone who, along with her sister Sabrina, is the sixth generation of the family to run the firm which is now a member of the Union of Historic Italian Businesses.

The Cereria Migone 1866 waxworks was founded as a result of a meeting of two Florentine industrial families, the Peri family, who produced soaps and candles, and the Migone family, fabric merchants and ship owners from Genoa, who arrived in Florence in the first half of the nineteenth century in search of candles and soaps to restock their ships. At the end of the century, Eugenio, a creative and experimental man, having tried countless times to grind Savon de Marseilles, eventually discovered the perfect formula for soap powder. In the early 1900s, he obtained the exclusive rights for the production of Candor and Fulgor soap powder in Italy.The company mixed a range of other products such as Persil detergent, Febo and Oliva soaps, Sapomice for domestic use, Laval dry shampoo and many more. Another important development was the fortunate event that occurred a few decades later. In 1935, a representative of a highly devout family, Giuseppe Migone, was appointed the Titular Archbishop of Nicomedia and secret almoner of the Pope, first to Pius XI and later to Pius XII. Before long, large orders for candles were arriving to Florence from the Vatican and the company had soon expanded to employ 30 people. This would become a commission that the firm would both cultivate and retain, while leaving ample space for expansion into other fields.

Today, the company produces candles and essences. The supplies to churches, convents and stores selling sacred furniture continue to represent 60% of the artisan waxworks’ business. In 2016 the company moved to a factory equipped with cutting edge technology in an industrial estate just outside Florence, and now focuses particularly on scented candles. These candles, which are personalised and tailored to the requests of the customer, represent 40% of the turnover, and this figure is growing visibly thanks to the success of the brand's private label. The most recent creations include “Vinonero” (in 190 and 700 gram versions), an intense and fruity fragrance that evokes the scent of Tuscan vineyards, while the own label products include Rosantico, Verdefico, Oltremare, Rossofiamma, Fuocodambra the Luxury Collection Oroluce and Luce, with citrus notes combined with spices to evoke the fragrance of Florentine gardens. “We concentrate on the fascination of “hand-made” craftsmanship in Florence and Italy, images which have conquered the world”, explains Francesca Migone. “It is an image that works for us too”.