Bally is about to close its production center in Tuscany (#1684936)

Struggling Bally is restructuring its operations. After announcing 65 layoffs in Switzerland last month, the Swiss luxury brand plans to close its production center in Italy, located in Lastra a Signa, outside Florence, eliminating 55 jobs. Bally's decision was made public by the unions and confirmed by local authorities.

“On December 5, the legal representative of Bally Studio Srl announced the closure of the Lastra a Signa factory, without taking safeguard measures for the 55 employees, all of whom were dismissed,” the unions told the local press.

On Monday, December 9, the mayor of Lastra a Signa, Emanuele Caporaso, claimed to have been informed by the unions “of important problems related to the continuation of the local business activity of Bally Studio Srl. These problems were later revealed to be extremely serious, when [Bally’s] The owners announced that they would proceed to close the site.” Contacted by FashionNetwork.com, Bally Studio Srl has not yet responded.

The difficult market situation seems to have accelerated the crisis of the Swiss brand. Its former owner, the German group JAB Holding, based in Luxembourg, had been trying to sell Bally for some years. The label was finally handed over this summer to California investment fund Regent LP. Following the sale, CEO Nicolas Girotto left the company and Ennio Fontana took over in October.

Meanwhile, Bally undertook a major overhaul of its organization, starting with its headquarters and production center in Caslano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. In November, Bally laid off 65 employees from its administration and manufacturing departments, out of a total of 250 who worked at the corporate headquarters established in 2000 next to Lake Lugano.

Bally was founded in 1851 in Schönenwerd, canton Solothurn. In recent decades, the brand has diversified into leather goods and ready-to-wear. Bally shows its menswear and womenswear collections, designed by creative director Simone Bellotti, at Milan Fashion Week.