DI STEFANO

Strapmaker brand name: Di Stefano Di Firenze

Started strap making since: 2005

Location: Florence, Italy

Types of straps made: Vintage, historical & classic straps

The saddest news possible hit us, Simona passed away on Sunday 23 October 2022. May she rest in peace. The introduction below were her personal words:

Chris and I are the husband and wife team behind Di Stefano Straps Firenze. I was born into the leather business that was started by my Grandfather Bruno Allegrini, at a time when it was the largest Tannery in Europe.

Chris, originally from the UK, has a commercial background first in Marketing for a large UK Company and then later went on to become a commodities trader. After several years travelling with his backpack around the Globe Chris decided to concentrate on his newly discovered passion for Photography.Combining his long standing love of Panerai watches Chris joined me full time in Florence to continue to develop DS Firenze.

Under the guidance of my father, Mario Di Stefano, President of the Italian Leather Stylists Federation for almost two decades, Chris soon learned much about the family business and developed a true appreciation and understanding of the traditions and practices of fine Artisan-produced Italian Leather. Or as Chris puts it “Mario Di Stefano has probably more experience and knowledge about the tradition of Quality Italian Leather than any man alive today – everything we know about leather was passed on to us by Mario Di Stefano” We still use only the finest Tanneries including of course the Di Stefano Family Leather Tannery which is run today, in the family tradition, by my brother Gianluca Di Stefano.

My knowledge and experience of Italian Leather and all the characteristics that make it so special was not so much learned playing around the tannery as a child but was already in her blood.

I had one other early passion that followed me through my life – Panerai watches.

After gaining a First Class Post Graduate Degree in Economics I followed my passion and went straight to work in the Panerai Boutique in Firenze as the first Manager of the new Flagship Panerai Boutique – and went on to manage the original store for 2 years before being asked to open the very first of the new Panerai exclusive Boutiques in Portofino where I enjoyed a further 2 successful years..