Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) officially opened its new leather goods manufacturing facility in Scandicci, Italy on December 15. Report by ILM.

The €30 million investment by YSL parent company Kering is located at a 28,000 sq m site formerly occupied by the Revenue Agency and is a short distance from the manufacturing factories of other well-known brands such as Gucci, Prada, Dior and Montblanc in Tuscany.

The Saint Laurent Atelier maroquinerie will be used for product design, prototyping and modelling, material and technical research, cutting, manufacturing and warehousing for the leather bags, suitcases and small leather goods.

YSL (Kering) will lease the building from Cdp Real Asset for €2 million per annum and have signed a lease for 15 years extendable up to 27 years. The site will employ up to 500 people (53% women) by 2025 with 200 transferring from YSL’s old site in Sandicci, which is also in the centre of the Florentine luxury handbag district.

YSL generates 70% of its revenues from leather goods and the formerly abandoned site has been completely revamped to create a light and airy production plant.