Say Ciao To Alcantara: The New Italian Word For Sustainable Luxury
Fadra Nally
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What’s your car seat made of? Do you even know? It might be leather. But even if it is leather, it’s very likely that only part of it is leather. The rest is usually a conglomerate of man-made materials made to match your seat.
Or maybe you prefer some sort of fabric interior. What kind of fabric is it? Does it breathe? What is it derived from? Synthetic or natural?
Unless you’re a luxury car buyer (or yacht buyer or plane buyer), you might not have given too much thought to your interior. And it’s very likely that you’ve never heard of Alcantara.
Well, they’re hoping to change all that.
If you haven’t recently driven a Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz or Porsche, you might not have seen this sustainable material used in premium auto brands. But soon, you’ll have the chance.
Alcantara is not only bringing its premium fabrics to more accessible auto brands but they’re also focusing on the lifestyle space. And what better way to showcase that than to bring several lifestyle and fashion bloggers to the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC.
Right away, I’m sure you’re thinking What did they do at the Italian Embassy? Did they eat at the Italian Embassy? And more importantly, what did they wear to the Italian Embassy?
Let’s just say that when you’re invited to lunch with Alcantara Chairman & Chief Executive Office Andrea Boragno and Corporate Communication Manager Maria Elena Furini you are experiencing the luxury lifestyle.
After being greeted with a glass of prosecco (it’s totally acceptable in Europe), we sat down for a lunch including lobster, lamb, and the most amazing tiramisu I’ve ever had.
I don’t know if it was the pinot grigio flowing but we had a blast talking about our favorite cars and trying to convince Andrea to take us all to Milan to see his showroom. I’m not sure if he bought the idea but he did insist we were one of the most interesting and lively media groups he’d been around.
Yes, that’s what happens when you get fabulous ladies together with an Italian man and talk cars and fashion. And in case you doubt his enthusiasm, he was more than happy to oblige us all with selfies. How many other CEOs will do that?
As he was whisked away for his next press interview, we were left with a small sampling of how Alcantara is being used outside of the automotive space.
From home interiors to fashion to consumer electronics, Alcantara is a high-tech luxury material made by Alcantara S.p.A. In addition to focusing on quality lifestyle, Alcantara is also committed to sustainability. In fact, it’s one of the first companies to be certified carbon neutral. And they also were also a partner for Earth Day activities in Washington, DC that included this kicking concert.
If you weren’t able to check out their VIP lounge backstage at the Earth Day concert and don’t happen to be going to Milan any time soon, don’t worry. You can still find their materials in next gen vehicles like the Lincoln Continental concept and soon the 2016 Nissan Maxima.
While the luncheon was short, we really had a fabulous introduction to Alcantara as a luxury material and as a brand. The only open question now is will they take us to Milan so we can really show you behind-the-scenes?
Our style might not rival the runways of Milan, but I think we suit the sustainable luxury lifestyle just fine.