La Perla, the Court of Bologna opens extraordinary administration

'We have been waiting for this news for a month, we are finally breathing'. This is how the 250 workers of La Perla, the historical Bolognese lingerie brand that has ended up in insolvency, and the trade unions comment on the news that the Court of Bologna has admitted the factory (La Perla Manufacturing Srl) to extraordinary administration.

The 13-page order was filed in the evening of 10 May with the Bologna Court of Chancery and it will now be up to the three judicial commissioners - lawyers Francesco Paolo Bello, Francesca Pace and Giancluca Giorgi - to roll up their sleeves in an attempt to revive the business, find a new investor and win back the markets with high-end Made in Italy corsetry.

In fact, the news opens the door to the only chance there was to save not only the brand, but also the production activities and jobs, bringing together in a single procedure the other two liquidation proceedings initiated for the commercial part (La Perla Italia) and the administrative part of the group (La Perla Management) and forcing the English receivers, who are managing the insolvency proceedings opened last January by the British Court for the parent company La Perla Management UK, to sit at the crisis table.

The only one entitled to sell lingerie made in the Bologna factory, today as 70 years ago, with a very high level of craftsmanship.

"We consider the extraordinary administration of La Perla Manufacturing a first and important step to avoid the impoverishment of the value of the group and its know-how, of which the workers are the custodians. Now it is essential to be convened at the Ministry of Made in Italy together with the subjects of all open procedures, therefore also with Italian and British receivers, as well as the institutions, in order to attempt a relaunch," remark Stefania Pisani of Filctem CGIL in Bologna and Mariangela Occhiali of the regional Uiltec-Uil.