幸福在大雨傾盆時：米蘭傘匠側記
Editor's note: This piece, and several others on Milan, complement the CNNGo TV series. Starting with a tour through the city with two top fashion models and a photographer, this month's CNNGo TV episode then ventures into the "fashion quadrangle," arguably the most fashionable shopping district on the planet, and also takes a trip to the city's most famed Umbrella maker.
(CNN) -- With his white hair, tweed jacket, a pince-nez and sharp wit, he's clearly a sophisticated man of the world.
But Francesco Maglia is also one of Italy's most exclusive umbrella makers -- and looks every inch the craftsman.
"Chino," as he likes to be called, is the fifth-generation descendant of another Francesco Maglia, the man who in 1854 founded the Maglia Umbrella Company in a town near Brescia, in northeast Italy.
The company relocated to Milan in 1876.
Today, Maglia's workshop is tucked away in the residential area of Via Ripamonti, 20 minutes or so from the city's most fashionable quarters.
Every umbrella produced here is handmade using an 80-step traditional process.
They retail for more than $300.
Maglia decorates them in an "English style," either in plain colors or patterned with pinstripes, tartan or regimental stripes.
Each umbrella is produced from a single shaft of wood -- usually chestnut, ash, walnut or cherry, but more exotic Malacca cane and whangee bamboo are often used.
Concerns for the future
In the workshop, a small team of mostly female artisans works on one or two stages of the production.
"Our workers have been with us for 30, 40 years -- some of them will retire soon. It's like a big family," says Maglia.
While Francesco looks after the design and international sales (he speaks fluent German, French and English), his younger brother, Giorgio, supervises the production and sourcing of materials, which is increasingly becoming a challenge.
Every umbrella is made of about 25 parts and the number of the Italian suppliers have dwindled.
"It's hard to find suppliers that specialize in umbrella parts, especially metal ones like the ribs, which are the only parts produced in China at huge costs," says Giorgio.
The Maglias are one of only a handful of specialist manufacturers left.
Francesco is worried about the future of the craft in which his family has made its name.
"When I started we were 110 umbrella makers. Now for handmade umbrellas there are two, three, but the other five or six companies produce 80% in China and 20% in Italy.
"I am the biggest producer even if I am very small.
"In the early days we used to sell hundreds of umbrellas even here in Milan. Now people can buy one made in China for €5 ($6.75), so our umbrellas have become an item of luxury."
Two-handled umbrella?
Despite the challenges, both brothers still take pride in their work and enjoy experimenting with new materials.
They also make bespoke umbrellas -- even if the demands of their customers can at times be unorthodox.
"The clientele has changed a lot over the past few years," Giorgio says.
"Very recently someone asked us to make an umbrella with two handles -- one for him, one for her -- but there is only so much we can do with an umbrella."
Like many luxury products, the Maglias' business has managed to weather the recent financial crisis, winning over some of the world's most exclusive retailers and brands
Today, the company produces about 25,000 umbrellas a year, of which 90% go to Maglia's international clientele -- mostly in Japan, Europe and the United States.
At 71, Francesco shows no signs of slowing down.
Holding up one of his favorite umbrellas, he breaks into almost predictable song.
"I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling and I'm happy again."編者按：本文與其他幾篇關於米蘭的報道構成了CNN旅遊休閒網站（CNNGo）系列電視節目。一開始，CNNGo電視節目的一名攝影師和兩位頂級時尚模特遊覽了這座城市，並在本月探索了“時尚四角”，這可以說是世界上最時尚的購物區。之後他們拜訪了該城最有名的傘匠。
據美國有線電視新聞網報道，他頭髮發白，身着粗花呢夾克，戴着副夾鼻眼鏡，看上去機智敏銳，顯然深諳世故。
但弗朗西斯科·馬利亞也是意大利最時髦的傘匠之一，看起來就是一名手工藝人。
他喜歡人們叫他“基諾（Chino）”。“基諾”是另一位弗朗西斯科·馬利亞的第五代後裔。而這位弗朗西斯科·馬利亞於1854年在意大利東北部佈雷西亞附近的一個小鎮創辦了馬利亞傘業公司（Maglia Umbrella Company）。
1876年，該公司搬至米蘭。
現在，馬利亞的作坊隱藏於米蘭Via Ripamonti住宅區，離這座城市最時尚的地區約20分鐘路程。
這裏生產的每把傘都是純手工製作，經80道傳統工序，零售價爲300多美元。
馬利亞將傘裝飾成“英倫風”，要麼純色，要麼各種圖案，如細條紋、格子呢和闊條彩色花樣。
每把傘都是用木軸製成——通常是慄木、白蠟木、胡桃木和櫻桃木，但更常使用馬六甲白藤和黃竹。
爲未來擔憂
馬利亞的作坊，工人不多，且大部分是女工，她們負責一至兩個生產工序。
馬利亞說：“這些工人和我們一起幹了三四十年，有的快要退休了。我們就像一個大家庭。”
弗朗西斯科負責雨傘的設計和國際銷售（他能說一口流利的德語、法語和英語），他的兄弟喬吉奧則負責監督生產和採購原料，而採購正逐漸成爲一個挑戰。
每把傘由25個配件組成，而意大利配件供應商日漸減少。
喬吉奧說：“很難找到專門生產雨傘配件的供應商，特別是像肋材這種金屬配件，只有中國在生產，成本頗高。”
馬利亞公司是少數專業雨傘製造商之一。
這種制傘工藝使他的家族成名，但弗朗西斯科卻開始擔心這種工藝的未來。
“一開始，我們這兒有110家雨傘製造商。現在，手工傘製造商只剩下兩三家，其他五六家在國外生產，80%在中國，20%在意大利。”
“雖然我公司小，但卻是最大的供應商。”
“早期，即使在米蘭，我們也能銷售不計其數的雨傘。而現在，5歐元（6.75美元）就能買一把中國製造的傘，所以我們的傘就成了奢侈品。”
雙柄傘?
面對這些挑戰，兩兄弟仍以他們的工作爲豪，嘗試使用新材料，並享受其中樂趣。
他們也定做雨傘，雖然有時顧客的要求很另類。
喬吉奧說：“過去幾年裏，顧客已經發生了很大的變化。”
“最近，有人要我們製造一把雙柄傘——一個給他自己，另一個給女朋友——但我們做不出來。”
跟許多奢侈品一樣，馬利亞公司也設法在金融危機中倖存下來，打敗了一些世界高級零售商和品牌。
現在，馬利亞公司雨傘年產量約爲25,000把，其中90%銷給馬利亞的國際客戶——主要在日本、歐洲和美國。
年逾71，但弗朗西斯科一點也不顯老。
撐着其中一把他最喜歡的傘，他突然唱了起來。
“我在雨中歌唱，就在雨中歌唱。感覺幸福滿滿。”
