Cluxter, the atelier for up-andcoming brands - spotted at Lineapelle

A team of professionals as well as a network of manufacturers and suppliers, so as to provide start-ups and enterprises with an outsourcing of technical expertise. Here is Cluxter, brand-new research & development hub for tailor- made projects

“Each fashion project requires a different set of skills and specific knowledge, and we are able to suggest the most suitable professional for its development and implementation.” This is the mission pursued by Cluxter, that is, a new business consulting hub established in Florence in 2020, whose goal is to back up start-ups and enterprises operating in the footwear, leatherware and costume jewellery sectors, supporting them throughout the organization and design process. Here is the latest challenge taken up by Carlos Maculan, Founder & Business Development with over thirty years of experience acquired while working in the family-run business and for some of the most prominent international luxury brands.
Carlos Maculan, how did you come up with such an idea during the pandemic period?
“Cluxter is a life project that swirled around my mind for quite some time, an idea that sums up almost thirty years of experience in the fashion sector spent travelling around Italy, Europe, Asia. A way to turn my professional career around and to make everything I have achieved available to both up- and- coming and well-established brands, to whom we can guarantee a modular service tailored to a firm’s specific needs and size.”
What about the corporate organization?
“I started off as a freelance consultant in May 2020 with the first two customers. Acting quickly, I put together a team that today features approximately thirty people, mainly employees and freelancers, each one of them with direct experience in fashion houses and specific skills – vertical and transversal – in the different reference sectors: footwear, leather goods, jewellery. The firm is headquartered in Florence, in the Arcetri hillside area, ten minutes away from downtown, and I have outlined its structure via an organizational chart: our professionals are identified by a “service record” that highlights their profile and expertise. This structure is supported by a back office available for every product category and for all sorts of demands. Based on the type of project and to its duration, we put at the customer’s disposal a team able to find tailor-made solutions in synergy with a well- established, yet flexible network of specialized suppliers and production partners. A network deeply rooted in the excellence of Italian craftsmanship as well as in the foreign manufacturing market.”
Who are your customers?
“Up-and-coming brands with no technical and production structure of their own account for fifty percent of our clientele. The other half features well- established brands that need to manage niche/experimental projects in- house: for instance, Made in Spain manufacturing, outlet production, children’s collections, circular economy. We guarantee them an added value: new ideas and new inputs, confidentiality, clear information concerning costs and deadlines.”
What strategy have you implemented to win the sustainability challenge?
“Our roots are grounded in shared values that we foster in every project and work team: the safeguard and enhancement of artisanal manufacturing know- how, the training of young people to ensure continuity to the supply chain, sustainability as a daily goal. We enjoy turning complex project into simple concepts as well as finding new ways to integrate sustainability – social, environmental, economic – into every production process. We are eager to cooperate with non-profit organizations and to do our outmost to guarantee that our business has a positive impact on both the society and the environment. For this reason, we have chosen to be a Benefit company and to state our values and mission in the corporate bylaws.”