MILAN, SINCE 1947
Our Story
Nearly eighty years of craftsmanship, design and passion for leather. From the workshop of a young Milanese leatherworker to a brand known around the world.
1947
A young leatherworker and a dream
In March 1947, in post-war Italy, Amato Santi, a young craftsman from Piacenza, opened his first leather workshop in Milan, at via Melzo 13. With his hands and an unwavering passion for leather, he began creating bags and accessories of the highest quality.
He didn't know it yet, but he was laying the foundations of one of the most important stories in Italian leather goods.
THE 1950s
From workshop to brand
In 1952, the workshop moved to viale Caldara, in the heart of Milan. Two years later, in 1954, the first store opened at Corso Indipendenza 21, in Porta Venezia, already the beating heart of Milanese fashion.
Success was immediate: the quality of the leathers, the precision of the stitching, and the elegance of the designs won over a refined, international clientele. In 1959, the brand officially took the name "I Santi".
THE 1960s
The airport and the economic boom
During Italy's economic miracle, Amato Santi had a visionary idea: bring his bags to where the world's travellers pass through. The first concept store opened inside Milan Linate Airport. A revolutionary idea for the time — selling luxury leather goods to business and leisure travellers.
In 1962, new production facilities opened in San Giuliano Milanese and in Tuscany, in Chiesina Uzzanese, in partnership with the Briganti family and the DIVA handbag factory, which has produced exclusively for the brand ever since.
1962
The birth of MIPEL
Amato Santi was more than an entrepreneur. He was a visionary for the entire industry. Together with a group of fellow leatherworkers, in 1962 he co-founded MIPEL, the International Leather Goods Market, which opened for the first time at the Milan Trade Fair.
Today, MIPEL is the world's largest trade fair dedicated to leather goods. Amato served as its president for several editions, helping to bring Italian leather craftsmanship to the global stage.
THE 1970s — '80s
International expansion
The brand conquered the world. The first international stores opened in Chicago in 1978, New York in 1979, then Orlando, Houston and Westport. "I Santi" boutiques appeared in major airports and duty-free shops worldwide — from Milan Linate to JFK New York, from London to Munich, Lisbon to Marseille, and as far as Bahrain.
By 1997, the brand's fiftieth anniversary, there were 22 boutiques across Italy and a widespread international presence.
THE PRODUCT
Italian elegance, without compromise
From women's bags in fine leather to travel luggage, from office briefcases to small leather goods — every "I Santi" creation is born from the same philosophy: excellent materials, clean lines, everyday functionality.
Carefully designed shapes and selected colours to anticipate trends and stand the test of time: a contemporary classic, recognisable for its style and understated elegance.
THE MUSEUM
The Amato Santi Historical Collection
Alongside his business, Amato Santi cultivated a unique passion for over forty years: collecting vintage bags and leather goods. His Historical Collection grew to approximately one thousand pieces, from the 18th century to the early 2000s — a journey through the evolution of fashion, women and society.
In 1994, Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage declared the collection of notable historical interest. In 1996, the Association of Friends of the Amato Santi Bag Museum was founded to preserve and promote this unique heritage.
TODAY
Heritage and future
Today, as always, the "I Santi" brand remains true to its essence: production entirely Made in Italy, with leathers selected from the finest Italian tanneries and artisanal craftsmanship that never compromises.
The new collection — designed and made in Milan — combines the heritage of nearly eighty years of history with contemporary design. Every bag carries the DNA of a brand that helped write the history of Italian leather goods.
We are not a brand born yesterday.
We are I Santi, Milan, since 1947.
