Who We Are
Calze Ileana was born and developed from the hands of Ileana Pinelli in 1982, who opened the doors of her Calze Ileana manufacturing company, and strategically prepared to navigate the Calza District of Castel Goffredo. The main objective is the development and production of tights for women and children, becoming from year to year the leader of Made in Italy high quality products.
Our history
1991 – Calze Ileana becomes part of the Real group – one of the main hosiery groups of the time – turnover of 140 billion ancient liras (approximately €70,000,000).
1997 – The company breaks away from the Real group, starting an independent growth path that will take it far. After being part of the 4th European group, in 1997 Manifattura Calze Ileana returned to the figure of the owner and, together with her son Luca, a new structure was given to the company: the structure became more familiar but increasingly specialized and professional, with a tendency to study the fashion business and product innovation, with great investment in research and development.
2002 – Construction of the new headquarters in Carpenedolo – a 5,000 m2 company. within an area of 15,000 m2.
2006 – The company becomes CALZE ILEANA S.P.A. Becoming an LLC it means thinking with strict rules, equipping yourself with a management control system and certified balances. In this period the company began to move into the world of international brands and stylists, and also collaborated with emerging and very talented designers.
2007 – Calze Ileana S.p.A. becomes a national case study on 530 small/medium enterprises – one of the cases in the book “Growth Models of SMEs” (edited by Il Sole 24 Ore), a study carried out by Censis and AIP.
2011 – Collaboration begins with the major yarn suppliers for the development of high-tech and high-performance models.
2014 – The 1177 brand is born, a new challenge for the future of Calze Ileana S.p.A., with the patent of can socks and the launch of the first thermo-regulating socks in the world of fashion. www.1177.store
2020 – It is a period of great difficulty on a global level, but Calze Ileana S.p.A. rolls up its sleeves for the good of the community and the company itself, reinventing part of the production process for the production of antibacterial protection masks.
2022 – Calze Ileana S.p.A. obtains the 100% made in Italy certification, to confirm what has always been a production process designed and created entirely in Italy.
All this contributed to the birth and success of Calze Ileana S.p.A.
Ileana is the center of a process that starts from the idea, is decentralized in a network of production units, dyeing departments, laboratories and ends at the original starting point for checks and final finishing. A “network” model, where the lead company is the effective leader of the group.
The company’s main market is Scandinavian, followed by French, German and English. The entering of the product overseas, USA, Canada and Australia, is also good.
1,000 models created every year, about 600,000 pairs of production capacity every month.
68,000 models in total collection, divided into different colours, for a total investment of around €300,000 each year in research.
Among its customers Calze Ileana S.p.A. can count on department stores such as Galeries La Fayette, Rinascente and La Maison Simons.