Recognizability Lies in the Detail
“Galvanic plating for the fashion industry: a case study”. The intervention at JTF by Giulio Bevilacqua, COO and partner of Bedin Galvanica, the Vicenza-based company whose know-how of the jewelry industry has conquered the fashion world
A company specialized in galvanic plating but not applied to jewelry. Why?
«Bedin Galvanica is located in Vicenza, in the heart of the Venetian gold district, but jewelry is not its business. Or rather, not any more. When my father-in-law, Romolo Bedin, founded the company in 1971, process- ing was aimed at local jewelry businesses, but then we understood that we had to look elsewhere, to fashion, an unexplored world from this point of view. Fashion is a field in which we can aesthetically enhance an accessory with that extra detail that makes the difference, even making the brand more recognizable. For instance, when we apply a buckle, an eyelet, a button or a metal clip onto a bag, belt or shoe, that item immediately acquires more personality. Furthermore, due to the idea of craftsmanship and attention to detail that it transmits, which undoubtedly derives from the time we spent working in the world of jewelry, top Italian and foreign fashion brands now rely on us».
Bedin Lab: what exactly is it?
«We like to think that instead of being merely product manufacturers, we are our customers’ partners. We study the best finishing and aesthetic solutions with them. Stylists and designers find us to be a company in which to experiment and produce identity for their brand. In the Bedin Lab, our style office, we have been implementing several of the most innovative creative solutions in recent years: such as Ultrablack, a black gold finishing that took more than a year to research and which, in just six months of being available, has already given us enormous satisfaction.
A product that presented a real challenge because it is extremely difficult to obtain stability due to the intensity of the black color. Or “Sole nero”, a finishing in black palladium with particular nuances, one of fashion houses’ most recent must-haves. Or like the highly sophisticated soft pink gold color that we launched in 2016 and which, due to its stability over time, doesn’t even need varnishing».
How do you relate to the concept of sustainable industry?
«This historical period in which we are living obliges industry to pay attention to the environment. Besides the fact that we are physically located between the head offices of ARPAV (Veneto Regional Environmental Protection Agency) and a WWF oasis, Bedin Galvanica is certified as “Compraverde Buygreen” by the Veneto Region. The toughest obstacle to overcome was getting others to understand that a galvanic plating company can be sustainable: over the years, processing techniques, attention to the environmental context in the widest sense, as well as to the most fragile areas within the surrounding territory, have led to certifications, awards and recognitions attesting a virtuous path of “best practice” at an organizational managerial and production level».
«Bedin Galvanica is located in Vicenza, in the heart of the Venetian gold district, but jewelry is not its business. Or rather, not any more. When my father-in-law, Romolo Bedin, founded the company in 1971, process- ing was aimed at local jewelry businesses, but then we understood that we had to look elsewhere, to fashion, an unexplored world from this point of view. Fashion is a field in which we can aesthetically enhance an accessory with that extra detail that makes the difference, even making the brand more recognizable. For instance, when we apply a buckle, an eyelet, a button or a metal clip onto a bag, belt or shoe, that item immediately acquires more personality. Furthermore, due to the idea of craftsmanship and attention to detail that it transmits, which undoubtedly derives from the time we spent working in the world of jewelry, top Italian and foreign fashion brands now rely on us».
Bedin Lab: what exactly is it?
«We like to think that instead of being merely product manufacturers, we are our customers’ partners. We study the best finishing and aesthetic solutions with them. Stylists and designers find us to be a company in which to experiment and produce identity for their brand. In the Bedin Lab, our style office, we have been implementing several of the most innovative creative solutions in recent years: such as Ultrablack, a black gold finishing that took more than a year to research and which, in just six months of being available, has already given us enormous satisfaction.
A product that presented a real challenge because it is extremely difficult to obtain stability due to the intensity of the black color. Or “Sole nero”, a finishing in black palladium with particular nuances, one of fashion houses’ most recent must-haves. Or like the highly sophisticated soft pink gold color that we launched in 2016 and which, due to its stability over time, doesn’t even need varnishing».
How do you relate to the concept of sustainable industry?
«This historical period in which we are living obliges industry to pay attention to the environment. Besides the fact that we are physically located between the head offices of ARPAV (Veneto Regional Environmental Protection Agency) and a WWF oasis, Bedin Galvanica is certified as “Compraverde Buygreen” by the Veneto Region. The toughest obstacle to overcome was getting others to understand that a galvanic plating company can be sustainable: over the years, processing techniques, attention to the environmental context in the widest sense, as well as to the most fragile areas within the surrounding territory, have led to certifications, awards and recognitions attesting a virtuous path of “best practice” at an organizational managerial and production level».
