Quality, Italianness, naturalness, luxury and ethics: these are the five key words that represent the mission of Oscalito, an example of Made in Italy corporate sustainability active in the Turin area.
#cartadidentity Founded in 1936 by Osvaldo Casalini and Lino Torino, Oscalito designs and manufactures high quality underwear and knitwear lines for men and women using natural fibres. It was Dario Casalini, the third generation of Oscalito, who took over the reins – and the fortunes – of the company to avoid a possible takeover of the brand, which would not have involved production, and to guide it along a path of renewal that did not lose sight of the brand’s core principles. So not simply know-how, but knowing how to do business well and with well-defined and structural values. And it is on men and women that Casalini shifts the focus of the company philosophy: firstly, the bond, human dialogue and sharing of values with suppliers and salespeople; secondly, a product focus that is naturally second skin and must therefore meet the physical needs of the individual.
#character It is again Casalini who points out that, among the keywords, Oscalito is linked to luxury in quality, attention and the relationship between suppliers, retailers and customers more than in the price range. Casalini also says that yes, the five keywords that have so far described Oscalito have done so well and represent its roots, its history, its core business. They do not limit it, however, as they become the foundation for what is also becoming the future of the company.
#mission “What if the five words became good, clean, durable, sustainable and fair?” asks Casalini himself, who is also the author of the book ‘Dressing Good, Clean and Fair. Per tornare a una moda sostenibile”, in which he reflects on the role played by fast fashion, on the imbalances in the fashion system, on the influence it has on the environment and on the recognition of work, in favour of what should instead be slow fashion, based on an innovative paradigm that combines beauty, utility, ethics and sustainability.
#strategy The same approach and similar ingenuity characterise Casalini’s intervention in Oscalito. In fact, the company boasts 100% Made in Italy processes: if it is true that the raw material, the selected fibres of natural origin, originate abroad, it is also true that the same origin is controlled and the suppliers are located within a radius of 200 km from the production site. The same control applies to all stages of production and maintenance, as processing takes place at a regulated and constant humidity and the fabric produced is not washed, but gently cleaned and dried.
#sustainability In addition to product and recipient care, a short supply chain and vertical production, Casalini has implemented a number of long-term initiatives that demonstrate great sensitivity to environmental and sustainability issues. Oscalito has a 35% energy autonomy thanks to the photovoltaic system installed in 2019. That’s not all: between 2022 and 2023, a geothermal plant was activated so that gas consumption has become almost zero in summer and minimal in winter, since the thermal aid provided by the water at a depth of 60 metres must exceed 12° and not lower temperatures. Lastly, textile scraps are 100% recycled, both for upholstery of various kinds, such as automotive, and in the building industry, such as for making photo-absorbent panels. The future goal would even be to produce paper – which already, Casalini points out, is exclusively recycled.
‘Behind every garment there is a story,’ Casalini argues, ‘If the story is not there, then there is something to hide. Oscalito tells a clear story: not just of Made in Italy and innovation, but a story in which the human factor comes back good, fair and sustainable.
Laura Colagrossi
