#MCCOTInterview {12}
Jennifer Stucko, the New Yorker Entrepreneur who designs luxury and sustainable shoes Made in Italy with apple and grape skins and lots of love.
After a decade of experience working for Prestigious International brand and maison, Jennifer Stucko has finally listened to her instincts and married her passions and purposes. Since a few years, the born and raised in New-Jersey and now living on NYC's Upper West Side is indeed the happy founder of Prota Fiori, a Sustainable luxury women footwear brand entirely manufactured in Le Marche, the birthplace of Italy shoe-making. Let's meet this one-of-a-kind business woman whose mission is to encourage the conscious consumption and preserve Italian craftsmanship with sustainability. A passionate young woman who wants to be a part of the green fight to save Mother Earth. A virtuous citizen who is doing her best to make a difference and show the way as a pioneer in the shoe Industry. A talented New-Jersey Girl who is, more than ever, proud of her rediscovered Italian heritage. Evviva Italia!!!
By Hélène Battaglia
Who are you?
I am Jennifer Stucko, the Founder of Prota Fiori.
Which path has brought you to become a female entrepreneur in 2018?
In 2018, after learning that the fashion industry was the 2nd most toxic industry in the world contributing to climate change, I became inspired to be a pioneer with a mission to encourage conscious consumption. Prota Fiori reflects what I know, what I love and what I believe in. I have over a decade of experience working at Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and A.Testoni and an overflowing passion for my Italian-American Heritage and deep rooted values of sustainability, health and wellness. I had an undoubtable feeling inside that told me to marry my passions and purposes: this is when Prota Fiori was born and I took the leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship.
Why have you chosen the Women’s Luxury Footwear market?
Prota Fiori’s mission is to preserve Italian craftsmanship with sustainability. A mixture of my professional experience rooted in Italian luxury footwear in design, product development, supply chain and manufacturing, mixed with my heritage, values and passions, has been a great recipe for a beautifully designed Italian shoe made with love.
Why did you call your brand Prota Fiori?
Prota Fiori translates to “protect the flowers”. Our name reflects our feminine approach to protect Mother Earth. Flowers are abundant in grace, beauty and elegance – that’s how I’d like the Prota Fiori woman to feel when she wears our designs. Each style in the collection is named after a flower, such as Camelia, Magnolia, and Flora, to name a few.
Is it because of your former expertise in the Italian Luxury Footwear that you’ve chosen to locate all the production in the Italian region of Le Marche?
Le Marche is the birthplace of Italian luxury shoe-making. We’re produced in a special area called the “shoe district” where there is a high concentration of multi-generational skilled shoemakers. I chose this region because of the history, covetable know-how and innate passion for the craft of Italian shoemaking.
Which are the main reasons why Prota Fiori can be considered as a pioneer brand on the Footwear market?
Prota Fiori applies unique sustainable leather alternatives from plant based biomass, such as apple skins and grape skins and other certified circular materials to Italian luxury footwear design and production like never done before. We have cracked the code to a new way of manufacturing luxury footwear. We are the first to offer this delight!
Prota Fiori in three words…
Beautiful, luxurious, Italian…
You are a multitasking woman: a founder, a CEO, and a Creative Director. Which part do you love the most?
Creativity gives me life. I love to dream, create, innovate. I recall bringing to life the first identities of Prota Fiori, and those were very special moments. When you create your own brand, there is a level of vulnerability that has to be exposed in order for it to reach its highest potential. This experience is fun, freeing, and ongoing. I have always loved to create and always loved shoes: at a young age, I was bedazzling my ballet flats.
Besides the professional side, what binds you to Italy?
I am Italian-American. I was born and raised in the US, however my ancestors immigrated from Naples to the US in the early 1900s and I have dual citizenship. In 2018, my curiosity peaked me to learn more about my Italian ancestors and my natural attraction to Italy. As I learned about they working in manufacturing, some in fashion, I began to feel a deeper connection to my roots, and felt a calling to preserve their culture in the way I am doing by supporting the Italian fashion industry. In fact, a beautiful picture of one of my Italian ancestors, holding a delicate bouquet of white roses, was another inspiration for me to incorporate flowers into my brand. On the outsoles of our shoes, there is a rose which ties back to Italy as it’s the national flower, and also to my Italian roots. There are hidden details within every element of Prota Fiori.
Could you tell us more about the Prota Fiori Garden your company is growing in Sicily?
Imagine a beautiful garden of orange and pomegranate trees in Italy that has a positive environmental, social, and economic impact in the community. We’ve started doing just that – growing a garden located in the Province of Syracuse in Sicily by partnering with Treedom (also a Certified B Corp). We are in the very early days of our Garden, however I dream of planting an abundance of trees all over Italy, blossoming each day.
More than a founder, you are an environmental activist. Which is your daily routine to take care of Mother Earth?
That is a very generous statement, thank you! I believe that by taking care of my mind, body and spirit first, I will make more thoughtful decisions about how to be gentler on Mother Earth. As for my daily routine, I typically practice yoga and meditation regularly. I look forward to my local farmer’s market every weekend near my home. I enjoy shopping vintage fashion very much, except for footwear, which I find is very important to ensure perfect fit without wear and tear.. I also love to seek out and support Companies that care about the environment. I’m not perfect, but I believe every step counts!
Which is your best achievement since you launched your brand?
Women wearing Prota Fiori shoes! When our shoe clients share how beautiful they feel on the inside and out once they slip on a pair of Prota Fiori’s, my heart is full. And that is when I am grateful for having what I wished for, only a few short years ago.
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