The innovation journey

Flavia Amato grew up in Guardavalle, a small village in a remote rural area in Calabria, in the South of Italy. After finishing high school, Flavia enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Macerata, a town in central Italy. Upon completion, she attended a vocational school of clothing pattern making and completed a master’s degree in artisan tailoring. She then accessed a capacity building programme for young innovators wanting to develop a start-up. As she finished this programme, in 2015 she decided to move to her native village, with her partner, to realize a dream: to launch her sustainable and tailoring fashion brand, producing items with natural, ethical and high-quality textiles. Flavia started Malìa Lab, in 2016, renovating a space that she inherited from her grandmother.

The activity involves the handmade production of clothes designed by Flavia. She uses only sustainable fabrics produced in Italy, both with traditional fibers (such as organic cotton, linen and silk) and innovative ones (such as milk fiber, bamboo, etc.). She sells her products also online, throughout Italy as well as abroad. Her partner helps her managing the marketing strategy and communication of the business. The made-to-order concept is another distinctive feature. This avoids waste, reduces environmental impact and allows the customer to have a tailor-made dress. When ordering, customers report their measurements by following the instructions on the website.