The Brand
Leather goods, inspired by centuries of Italian beauty and traditions.
Corîu is an Italian Brand formed in 2019 in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy. Our collections are the product of a collective imagination deeply influenced by the Puglia region, rich in history and tradition. Corîu represents our origins, passion for Made in Italy ideals, pride in local craftsmanship, and leather goods excellence.
Craftsmanship is one of the pillars of Puglia’s traditions. It is a region that since ancient times has been shaped by traditions of the making of wicker and wrought iron, the creation of mosaics and terracotta, the art of bobbin lace and lace itself.
Corîu translates these ancient traditions into pieces with classical and timeless designs.
〰
Our mission: Craftsmanship and Quality
Support of craftsmanship is Corîu’s mission. In fashion, it is tough to maintain the entire value chain within the same territory. Yet, Corîu chooses to keep the entire manufacturing process 100% local in Puglia, Italy.
We are a fifth-generation family involved in the world of maroquinerie. Our experience through the generations has led us to master the art and appreciate all of its qualities and inner aspects.
Our bags – accessories aimed to last through time – are designed for a very dynamic person who feels at ease switching between business meetings and everyday commitments, not forgetting that fashion is a matter of style. These are the cornerstones of Corîu’s luxury philosophy.
〰
A family story
The love for this incredible material, leather, has influenced the creativity of the brand’s designer and founder, Giordano Lapegna.
From an early age, he enjoyed playing with scissors and awls, throwing down sketches and ideas for models that only later became the realization of his dream: to create a leather goods brand that focused on the very high quality of materials and labor.
Leather has always been a “family business.” The paternal branch of Giordano took care of it in Naples, a city that boasts an ancient history in the sectors of tanning and manufacturing fine leather items such as gloves and footwear.
In 1899, his great-great-grandfather, Alberto Martirani, sold leather throughout southern Italy, moving from Naples with his horse-drawn cart. The great-grandparents, Antonio Martirani and Elena Paudice belonged to two of the most important Neapolitan families in the leather sector.
His father, Massimiliano, therefore inherited the family leather trade business. Thus, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather and flanked by his grandfather Antonio and his uncles Carlo, Geppino, and Alberto, Massimiliano took his first steps in the sector, selling kid and sheep hides from Pakistan to the tanneries of Solofra, in the Avellino area.
Twenty years later, thanks to a long experience in the leather for footwear and clothing sector, Massimiliano arrives in the world of leather for furniture.
The scent of leather, the softness, and the absolute versatility of this material have contributed to increasing the love and fueling the passion that has led Giordano and his family to be today in the sixth generation of experts in leather and leather goods.
Paudice and Martirani Families – The 40s
〰
The vision in the twenties
From 2009 to 2012, Giordano worked as a designer and creative mind for a sustainable design brand that combined leather with nylon, a recycled material used to make sails for boats.
In 2013, at the age of twenty-eight, he founded his first solo project: high-level handcrafted leather goods, completely Made in Italy with a strong innovative, and refined character. His key points have always been the support to the local Apulian craftsmanship and the search for high-quality leathers made exclusively with vegetable tanning in Tuscany.
His vision was immediately in contrast with the production methods of mass fashion. Focusing immediately on sustainable fashion and collaboration with small, mainly family-run artisan businesses, he has established authentic relationships reflected in his leather creations.
〰
The experience
Thus, by embracing the imperfection of today’s fashion world, even those details that might otherwise be seen as defects in the material have been transformed for Giordano into qualities to show and highlight. Emphasizing the entire process that pays tribute to all those who participate in this journey: from the animal’s life to the craftsman who makes the bag by hand. Each segment of this process tells a true story, an authentic journey made of love, relationships, and professionalism.
The experience gained in these years of designing, creating, and marketing his handcrafted leather bags leads him to create a new project, based on an approach that offers the advantages of slow fashion (attention to detail on every single piece made, high quality of raw materials, craftsmanship of the construction) combined with taste and appeal of more widespread consumption. This without neglecting attention to the value for money.
Thus was born the Corîu project, in which Claudia, Francesco, and Enrica also actively participate, each bringing their professionalism and vision that enriches the concept, creating new synergies.
The brand’s inspiration is all from Puglia. The atelier for the realization of the products is based in Martina Franca, the pearl of the Itria Valley, and the manufacturing is entrusted to leather artisans with a long family experience.
Leather is a living material: it requires care in processing, a lot of dedication, and attention to detail.
What do we want to do? To transmit our passion to anyone who chooses our handcrafted leather bags.
