INDIVIDUALS
Some names and details have been altered or redacted to protect the privacy of those interviewed.
The individuals featured in the Invisible Hands project come from a range of backgrounds, ages, and levels of experience, linked by their work within Tuscany's leather goods industry. Each profile presents a distinct immigration history and a firsthand account of conditions within the sector, documented through video interviews and personal narratives.*
Mahela works within the second tier of the fashion supply chain, preparing raw materials for production. Within his pelletteria, or leather-goods factory, Mahela works as a sandblaster — removing fur from leather hides, clearing away any remaining sand particles, and passing the material on to the quality control department. This leather is then used to construct handbags for a well-known luxury brand.
After multiple years working for this company, Mahela reached out to a lawyer to understand his right as an employee, as he believed the company was treating him and his other non-European colleagues differently. During our discussion, Mahela spoke about the importance of the permanent contract that he receives through the company, as it is what allowed him to bring his immediate family members to Italy and for him to buy a house.
Mahela
Nagisa is from Tokyo, Japan, where she interned at a variety of factories and fashion brands. In search of a more hands-on learning experience from the artisanal fashion sector, Nagisa obtained a visa to come to Florence.
Upon arrival, she found a posting for an apprenticeship within a leather bags shop and jumped at the opportunity. After working there for almost two years, she says she’s learned nearly every process handbag construction and is excited about her work. However, as an unpaid apprentice, Nagisa must work an evening job to earn money for her living expenses as well as Italian school. Although she loves her work, the 12+ hour days have begun to affect her mentally and physically.
Nagisa’s story reflects a common thread in the fashion industry: free labor in exchange for experience. Unpaid interns, apprentices, and young workers are not only asked but expected to work a number of years or various positions without pay to advance in this industry. If one pushes back on this reality, they’re seen as unreality, a haughty newbie, or disrespectful to the rite of passage that all fashion employees before them had to endure. For Nagisa, the requirements of the student visa and the precarious nature of immigration only add to this stress.
Nagisa
Seren was born in Verona, Italy, however he spent most of his life in Sri Lanka, where he obtained his MBA from the University of Sri Lanka. Due to the economic crisis in the country, he came to back to Italy in search of better opportunities. Although he has settled here for the time being, he is awaiting reunification with his wife before he begins planning for the future.
Currently, Seren works as a technical advisor in a Fustellificio factory, or a die-cutting factory that prepares metal stamp-like structures leather cutting. He notes that his experience thus far has been pleasant. However, he notes that he has personally experienced far worse conditions in other jobs and heard about the mistreatment of workers within other factories. This insight points to the common understanding of the issue among industry insiders, and yet its ongoing existence.
Seren
Fazil arrived to Italy seven years ago after borrowing money from family to arrive, while Nusra has been in Florence since she was a child, which they officially met.
During our discussion, Fazil and Nusra bounced back and forth describing Nusra’s experience within the pelletteria, or leather-goods factory, where she has been working for the past three years. There she works within the production sector to create handbags for one major luxury brand, however her factory creates products for a variety of high-end brands.
She documents the positive treatment she has received while working there, monetary bonuses earned, and the expansive maternal leave she’s received after giving birth to her first child. Additionally, they discuss the widespread understanding of poor labor conditions within subcontracted factories, and the normalization of this work within the industry and region.
Nusra & Fazil
Ali is a Bangladeshi refugee who works at Ricucisogni, one of our company partners. He is the only employee who comes to work on Saturdays, something he takes deep pride in. This is when I had the chance to get to know him and hear his difficult story. Although he shared it with me, he was uncomfortable participating in an official interview due to his limited understanding of the Italian language—a barrier many immigrants face upon arrival.
Ali
Ricucisogni Employee
Athick Ahamed is an immigrant from Sri Lanka who arrived in 2023. As the primary translator on this project, his efforts center around making the stories of those interviewed accessible to as many people as possible. However, his own personal story has driven the project.
He has also provided a narration for the project through his fluency in Italian, English, Tamil, and Sinhala. With this insight, he has helped guide interviews and connect with interviewees across language and culture. He has also provided additional information on the key struggles for immigrants here in Italy, and has helped encourage individuals to share their story without fear.
Athick Ahamed
Mani Visibili Translator & Collaborator
This group consists of individuals who chose to share their story publicly. Adjustments were made on a case-by-case basis to address individual privacy concerns. This page does not include the full range of stories and individuals who contributed to this project through private interviews. These stories reflect the perspectives and experiences of individual participants at the time of their interview, and they have not been independently verified. They are not intended to represent the leather goods or fashion industry as a whole, nor conditions throughout the Tuscan region generally. Each factory, individual, employment relationship, contracted company, and manager differs, and this project does not draw conclusions beyond the individual accounts presented.