Etnografia del pronto moda. I laboratori cinesi nel distretto di Prato

Ethnography of fast fashion. Chinese firms in the industrial district of Prato The city of Prato has distinctive characteristics, as it was destined to become a social microcosm emblematic of markets globalization and Italy’s main immigration problems. The questions took into consideration in the paper are: how is it organized the sector of Chinese fast fashion and which factors contributed to its great developing? In addition, did the Chinese entrepreneurs cause a disadvantage for local textile entrepreneurs and workers? On the contrary, did the Chinese fast fashion grow as a parallel district which share few relationships with the textile production? Based on ethnographic tools such as open interviews to privileged witnesses and a field research into the Macrolotto 1 (the industrial area in great part occupied by Chinese fast fashion firms), the paper is aimed at giving a response to the previous questions. The first part analyses the Chinese entrepreneurs involved in local fast fashion; the second focuses on connections between Chinese entrepreneurs and local economic players. Lastly, the third examines reactions of the local population towards the presence of Chinese immigrants (and especially their businesses).