Cover Alcantara’s fashion collaborations, as showcased in its Singapore exhibition, ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ (Photo: Alcantara)
Alcantara’s fashion collaborations, as showcased in its Singapore exhibition, ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ (Photo: Alcantara)
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He shares how the Italian company’s polyester-based fabric has conquered the cars, closets and cosy homes of the rich
Andrea Boragno, the chairman and CEO of Alcantara, is every bit as Italian as his name suggests. When asked about his personal collection of cars—one of Italy’s proudest and biggest exports—Boragno eagerly shared that he has “many, many different cars. I drive all the cars!”
Boragno was in town recently to discuss Alcantara, not automotives, although the first topic inevitably led to latter. That’s because Alcantara is a giant in the world of cars. The Italian company’s eponymous, polyester-based fabric has stretched across the interiors of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and other ultra-luxury vehicles since it was first used on car seats in 1978.
The material, developed by Japanese scientist Miyoshi Okamoto in 1970, is prized for its durability and soft, suede-like feel. Alcantara is also a lot lighter than leather, which makes it perfect for decking out speedy sports cars. But that’s just one of the many factors of Alcantara’s appeal, according to Boragno.
“It makes everything look better,” said the 72-year-old car enthusiast. “I like it on the steering wheel, where it gives you a good grip. It’s also nice on the headliner, the seats and on the dashboard. It gives you the idea of being in a luxurious environment.”
Boragno was speaking to Tatler Singapore at the home of the Ambassador of Italy, Mario Andrea Vattani, where Alcantara held its first-ever exhibition in Southeast Asia, Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions. There wasn’t a car in sight, but Alcantara was everywhere: as a colourful carpet on the floor, as the framed wall decor, as an avant-garde dress designed by Japanese fashion label Facetasm, or as the minimalist uppers of a pair of Adidas Gazelle sneakers.
Read more: Vestiaire Collective’s Sophie Hersan wants to change the world by changing your closet
Above Alcantara chairman and CEO, Andrea Boragno, at the Alcantara’s ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ event (Photo: Alcantara)
Alcantara chairman and CEO, Andrea Boragno, at the Alcantara’s ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ event (Photo: Alcantara)
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But as the name of the exhibition suggested, there is more to Alcantara than style. A renewable, bio-based version of the fabric made partially from sugarcane waste served as the new covering for Microsoft’s Surface Pro Signature keyboard, which was also on display. That particular product embodied the two pillars that have defined Alcantara as a company since its inception in 1972: its collaborative nature, and its innovative approach to sustainability.
Both pillars have been emphasised under the helm of Boragno, who joined Alcantara in 1990 and, in 2006, became the company’s chariman. Boragno was instrumental in helping Alcantara achieve carbon neutrality back in 2009—a commitment that many companies would only be pushed to make many years later as the sustainability cause became harder to ignore. Boragno is also a champion of the art world, and accordingly Alcantara has found its place there through collaborations with museums, galleries and artists. These projects have been proudly documented in the 2022 book, Alcantara: The Material of Art.
“We are positioning the brand at the intersection of technology, functionality, emotion, beauty, style, sensuality and extreme customisation—all this in the context of sustainability,” said Boragno.
Below, he shares how Alcantara continues to innovate and stay ahead of the curve—and how he hopes it will evolve in the years to come.
Above Alcantara’s ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ exhibition (Photo: Alcantara)
Alcantara’s ‘Beyond the Surface: Unfolding Dimensions’ exhibition (Photo: Alcantara)
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What does luxury mean to you and how does Alcantara fit that vision?
Luxury is something exclusive and unique—and Alcantara is very much unique. It’s unique as a material: it’s the result of a technological breakthrough that took place at the beginning of the ‘70s. Since then, our catalogue has grown a lot.
It’s also unique as a brand. We are positioning the brand at the intersection of technology, functionality, emotion, beauty, style, sensuality and extreme customisation—all this in the context of sustainability.
Alcantara is based in Italy, with its headquarters in Milan and its production plant in Nera Montoro. Does Alcantara being a “Made in Italy” brand contribute to this idea of luxury?
Definitely. Our production remains in Italy. We are growing our machinery in one location. We want to preserve this concept of being made in Italy.
What are some qualities of Alcantara that stand out to you?
As a product, Alcantara offers technological performance and durability, and it’s very soft. It stimulates your sense of reality. As mentioned, it also offers extreme customisation. There are so many different applications for Alcantara. It’s used in the aviation business. For example, Singapore Airlines uses it in the seats of its business class cabin.
Speaking of, Alcantara has collaborated with brands across many different industries: automotives, technology, interior design, fashion and more. What drives this?
It’s a point of uniqueness in our business: we co-develop the final product. We don’t approach the market with an established solution. We present Alcantara to the market; we show our customers what can be done with Alcantara. That represents the starting point on which to discuss what’s possible to do together.
Alcantara’s latest collaboration with Microsoft features a bio-based version of its signature fabric (Photo: Alcantara)
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What does Alcantara bring to the art world, and vice versa?
The material has a huge potential. It can be interpreted in countless different ways. And in the hands of artists and designers, the material becomes the means by which they express their creativity. They bring the capability of representing Alcantara in different ways. Our collaboration with these people is so important that it has become an integral part of our business strategy.
What was behind the push to turn Alcantara into a carbon neutral-certified company back in 2009?
We had decided at the time to introduce the concept of sustainability, and one of the first things we accomplished was to work on carbon neutrality. It was not defined as the final solution for decarbonisation, but it’s much better than ignoring the problem.
We felt that climate change is a very important problem that we are going to face, a problem that is going to change our lives. By [being certified] as a carbon-neutral company, it was a way to bring the attention and awareness of consumers to this problem.
How else has Alcantara stepped up in terms of sustainability?
We recently developed a partially bio-based version of Alcantara that is derived from the industrial waste of sugar cane. This is what our technology can achieve now. Our goal is to arrive at the point where Alcantara is entirely made from bio-based materials. Our sustainable approach is something that our consumers really appreciate, too.
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Pameyla Cambe is the Assistant Digital Editor of Tatler Singapore. She handles the Fashion section of the website, where she reports on trends, the hottest fashion launches and what your favourite Asian celebrities are wearing.
