On June 17, the Romagna-based accessories group Bigfoot S.r.l., currently primarily engaged in the relaunch of the Save My Bag handbag brand, celebrated its 20th anniversary with an event in Via Tornabuoni in Florence, conceived as a meeting point to strengthen dialogue with stakeholders, customers, and the press. “Now we're moving on to the next step: thinking like a widespread and globally appreciated large company,” Giancarlo Tafuro, Bigfoot's sales and marketing manager, told FashionNetwork.com.
During the evening, it was revealed that Luigi Bravi, founder of Orva S.p.A., a leading Italian industrial bakery company with its registered office in Misano Adriatico (RN) and operations in Bagnacavallo (RA), a giant in IGP Romagna piadina and pinsa, has joined the Bigfoot group, marking a return to the entrepreneur's professional origins. In fact, in the past, Luigi Bravi and Nazzareno Amatori, Bigfoot's founder, had already shared a path in the footwear sector before pursuing different entrepreneurial ventures.
“In addition to the family ties that unite us, it is the deep friendship and complicity that have fostered this new common path,” an emotional Nazzareno Amatori said during the evening. “Precisely this relationship of trust encouraged Luigi to return to his first great passion, fashion, by investing in Bigfoot's capital and vision to contribute to the group's future growth.”
Founded 20 years ago as a third-party producer, Amatori created his first brand, the shoe label Emmanuelle Vee, in 2011. With the arrival of his children, Paola (CEO) and Francesco (designer), in 2014, the handbag brand La Carrie was born, while Save My Bag was the first external brand acquired by the Romagna-based company. The other three brands in the company's orbit are No:rae (premium bags) and the footwear labels The Giver and Zolfo.
“We want to raise our perceived level as a company, not just in terms of the depth of our satellite brands, to expand as a collective internationally,” says Tafuro. “The Bigfoot company now has the right structure, equipped with three brands from the footwear world and three from the handbag universe. From today, we consider our economic results as a company, not for individual brands.”
For Save My Bag, Bigfoot has already activated America and Japan; the Land of the Rising Sun is also the main foreign market for La Carrie. Bigfoot recorded a turnover of 9 million euros in 2025, but considering an external controlled company, which encompasses all the group's brands, it reaches around 13 million. Italy accounts for 72%. “2026 will conclude (we have already finished sales campaigns) with a 7% growth in turnover. The goal for 2027 is +10%. We need to make all 6 brands appreciated abroad,” a determined Giancarlo Tafuro assures.
“Bigfoot’s flagship brand at the moment is La Carrie in handbags, Emmanuelle Vee in shoes. The intention is to bring them all to the same level, not only in terms of turnover but also perception. Surely, what will give us the most immediate satisfaction is Save My Bag, which has a product with excellent potential, but which after the initial boom had somewhat flattened into repeating variations of the same single-product bag,” the manager continues. “The relaunch of this label has already begun. We have completely renewed the product, in terms of style and materials. Neoprene is still there, but it only accounts for 20% of the collection. By our choice, no leather or eco-leather, so only fabrics. Neoprene is still found in the inner part of the bag, which is the stiffener, because it makes the bag light, one of its advantages. Another objective of ours,” he continues, “is to expand its ranges, for example with products ‘peripheral’ to the core business, such as swimwear. At the moment, there are no plans for monobrand openings for Bigfoot's brands. Because it should not be forgotten that stores generate revenue and EBITDA, but also many costs…”
“Today we are here with 20 years of worn soles behind us, with leather in our hands, with nights spent studying a buckle, a new shape, a detail that could make a difference," an emotional Nazzareno Amatori said. "In these 20 years we have seen everything: trends arriving like waves and leaving just as quickly, leather giving way to technical materials and then reclaiming its space, fast fashion exploding and then, slowly, witnessing the rediscovery of the value of durability and product quality. We have seen shops suffer and be reborn. We survived the tsunami caused by Covid. We have seen online change everything. And now we are experiencing a difficult moment on the world stage," an emotional Nazzareno Amatori recounted. "But above all, we have seen that what matters in our sector is always the same thing: being able to create objects that people want to wear and feel are their own, and – most importantly – that tell a story. Luigi Bravi has joined our corporate structure. With his wealth of experience, he will be an added value for the entire company.”
