The Art of Proportion: Crafting the Luca Faloni Mannequin

Each element of our stores expresses our dedication to authentic craftsmanship, from the carefully selected garments on display to the furniture and lights that enhance our collections' timelessness.

It shouldn’t be surprising that we pay particular attention to the bespoke mannequins that first introduce our creations to clients visiting our physical stores. The mannequins' aesthetics and design aim to showcase the same attention to detail that our garments embody, so we decided to collaborate with Bonaveri to create high-quality mannequins.

The iconic Italian brand is the leader in creating unique, sustainable mannequins and is a superb example of Italian tradition that looks to the future. Thanks to constant research and an innovative approach to manufacturing, Bonaveri pushes the boundaries of ethical fashion whilst promoting Italian artisanal craftsmanship worldwide.

Romano Bonaveri started producing mannequins in the 1950s in Cento, near Ferrara. Thanks to its sculpting skills and the support of his wife Adele, the brand grew tremendously, with successful exhibitions at the Milan Trade Fair in the 60s and the expansion of its production facility.

In those early days, Romano and Adele laid the foundations for the worldwide-known brand Bonaveri has become: a producer of high-quality bespoke mannequins that represent the local manufacturing skills and creative ethos typical of the best Italian artisanal tradition.

Today, Andrea and Guido follow their parent's footsteps while transforming the mannequin manufacturing process to create more sustainable products thanks to their patented BPaint®, a sustainable paint finish, and BPlast®, a bio-based polymer made from a 72% sugar cane derivative that reduces CO2 emissions and is biodegradable.

The first step in creating Bonaveri's mannequins is designing the model. Here, Bonaveri's sculptors bring to life the prototype, which will then be used to produce the resin casting for the following models. Starting from a metal structure that acts as the mannequin’s skeleton, the expert sculptors shape the model based on the client’s requirements and Bonaveri’s aesthetic and design guidelines.

At this stage, the mannequin’s raw parts are carefully handcrafted to ensure each part of the model seamlessly fits with the others. This is a delicate process carried out by Bonaveri’s experienced artisans, who can produce fifteen thousand mannequins per year, perfect in all their details.

The wooden parts included in the mannequins are added as soon as the raw parts have been processed. Once again, artisans pay special attention to the harmonious combination of the various elements that make the mannequin. The connection between wooden and plastic parts must be seamless, and the overall artistic design coherent and in line with Luca Faloni’s aesthetic vision.

Bonaveri is a leader in creating eco-friendly paint finish made of natural, plant-based ingredients that drastically reduce CO2 emissions, resulting in mannequins that represent the future of Italian excellence and sustainable ethics. 

In the workshop, expert hands coat the busts to add a final touch to Bonaveri’s creation and bring to life fully personalised models.

Each part of the mannequin is analysed thoroughly before assembling the figures. Legs, torso, neck, wooden arms and base are carefully checked for imperfections, and only if the model corresponds to Bonaveri’s high standard quality, it’s then assembled and packed, ready to be displayed in our Luca Faloni’s stores.