Counterfeit: Naples, fake Made in Italy leather goods on display
Naples - Shoes, handbags and gloves are among the most common counterfeit goods in the clothing and accessory industry as well as being symbols of "Made in Italy" design, recognized worldwide. Fake Italian designer goods and items will be on display at an original event that aims to draw attention to the significant economic damage caused by the counterfeit market. This is how "Questa non è una sola" was born (a play on words of the word 'sola' that means 'scam' in Neapolitan and 'unique' in standard Italian language), the exhibition set up at the Chamber of Commerce of Naples by the Associazione Museo del Vero e del Falso, which last year organized an educational exhibition on fake toys, attended by 10,000 people in three months. This year's exhibition is an educational itinerary on leather goods and footwear counterfeiting, and will be open until February 2, 2018, in the "Sale delle Grida" of the Chamber of Commerce of Naples. Counterfeit goods will be on display as well as women's footwear that left its mark in the 20th century, thanks to the contribution of Assocalzaturifici, a collection of vintage gloves provided by the Mondragone Foundation in Naples. This exhibition is part of the program of the Pmi Day 2017, promoted by Piccola Industria di Confindustria, which, this year, chose the theme of counterfeit, "an evil to be eradicated," as Renato Abate, President of Piccola Industria Campania, says "as it negatively affects businesses, also in cultural terms." We must begin with the younger generations, which must learn the importance of legality. We can only promote culture and information sharing, but the Government must play a major role in the fight against counterfeiting." The Campania region is severely affected by this, as its tanning and footwear industry comprises over 400 companies and more than 14,000 employees. This economic asset is threatened by the counterfeit market, more than in other Italian regions. "Counterfeit has brought entire older production chains to their knees," explains Luigi Giamundo, President of the Associazione Museo del Vero e del Falso. "Our awareness-raising activity is aimed at young people, with a special format: an exhibition that displays both counterfeit goods provided by the Guardia di Finanza and by Customs and original products in order to learn to tell them apart." The exhibition also includes technical workshops organized by the national associations of Assocalzaturifici, Unic and Stazione sperimentale Pelli, giving participants the chance to spot the differences between original and fake goods. In cooperation with the Regional Department of Education, an awareness-raising activity has been launched in all schools in Campania, which have been invited to visit the exhibition.