幸福在大雨倾盆时：米兰伞匠侧记
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."
编者按：本文与其他几篇关于米兰的报道构成了CNN旅游休闲网站(CNNGo)系列电视节目。一开始，CNNGo电视节目的一名摄影师和两位顶级时尚模特游览了这座城市，并在本月探索了“时尚四角”，这可以说是世界上最时尚的购物区。之后他们拜访了该城最有名的伞匠。
据美国有线电视新闻网报道，他头发发白，身着粗花呢夹克，戴着副夹鼻眼镜，看上去机智敏锐，显然深谙世故。
但弗朗西斯科·马利亚也是意大利最时髦的伞匠之一，看起来就是一名手工艺人。
他喜欢人们叫他“基诺(Chino)”。“基诺”是另一位弗朗西斯科·马利亚的第五代后裔。而这位弗朗西斯科·马利亚于1854年在意大利东北部布雷西亚附近的一个小镇创办了马利亚伞业公司(Maglia Umbrella Company)。
1876年，该公司搬至米兰。
现在，马利亚的作坊隐藏于米兰Via Ripamonti住宅区，离这座城市最时尚的地区约20分钟路程。
这里生产的每把伞都是纯手工制作，经80道传统工序，零售价为300多美元。
马利亚将伞装饰成“英伦风”，要么纯色，要么各种图案，如细条纹、格子呢和阔条彩色花样。
每把伞都是用木轴制成——通常是栗木、白蜡木、胡桃木和樱桃木，但更常使用马六甲白藤和黄竹。
为未来担忧
马利亚的作坊，工人不多，且大部分是女工，她们负责一至两个生产工序。
马利亚说：“这些工人和我们一起干了三四十年，有的快要退休了。我们就像一个大家庭。”
弗朗西斯科负责雨伞的设计和国际销售(他能说一口流利的德语、法语和英语)，他的兄弟乔吉奥则负责监督生产和采购原料，而采购正逐渐成为一个挑战。
每把伞由25个配件组成，而意大利配件供应商日渐减少。
乔吉奥说：“很难找到专门生产雨伞配件的供应商，特别是像肋材这种金属配件，只有中国在生产，成本颇高。”
马利亚公司是少数专业雨伞制造商之一。
这种制伞工艺使他的家族成名，但弗朗西斯科却开始担心这种工艺的未来。
“一开始，我们这儿有110家雨伞制造商。现在，手工伞制造商只剩下两三家，其他五六家在国外生产，80%在中国，20%在意大利。”
“虽然我公司小，但却是最大的供应商。”
“早期，即使在米兰，我们也能销售不计其数的雨伞。而现在，5欧元(6.75美元)就能买一把中国制造的伞，所以我们的伞就成了奢侈品。”
双柄伞?
面对这些挑战，两兄弟仍以他们的工作为豪，尝试使用新材料，并享受其中乐趣。
他们也定做雨伞，虽然有时顾客的要求很另类。
乔吉奥说：“过去几年里，顾客已经发生了很大的变化。”
“最近，有人要我们制造一把双柄伞——一个给他自己，另一个给女朋友——但我们做不出来。”
跟许多奢侈品一样，马利亚公司也设法在金融危机中幸存下来，打败了一些世界高级零售商和品牌。
现在，马利亚公司雨伞年产量约为25,000把，其中90%销给马利亚的国际客户——主要在日本、欧洲和美国。
年逾71，但弗朗西斯科一点也不显老。
撑着其中一把他最喜欢的伞，他突然唱了起来。
“我在雨中歌唱，就在雨中歌唱。感觉幸福满满。”
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