Leather is a flagship of the emblematic firm Montblanc, its creations have a tradition of more than 100 years where ancestral traditions and the finest craftsmanship are connected to create luxury products.
From Horse we had the opportunity to interview Jean Charles Hita, current General Manager of the Montblanc Leather Division, who explained the latest developments in luxury leather goods and the challenges involved in the transformation and renewal of the latest collections.
In April this year, the German brand launched the Meisterstück 4810 leather collection, a reinterpretation of the luxury business leather goods collection that combines new functional designs inspired by the world of writing with bold leather embossing that evokes the texture of tree bark in a palette of timeless, natural colours.
Left: Bowling bag with an Envelope Case, a slim document holder that attaches to the tote. Right. slim document holder with interior divisions.
The collection alludes to nature with the corteccia leather, inspired by the bark of trees, and the natural colours of the forest, such as green or cognac brown.
Marco Tomasetta, Montblanc’s artistic director, explains.
Left: Actor James Norton wearing a Soft backpack. Right. top model Karen Elson with a Soft ‘Duffle’ bag. Photographer Mariano Vivanco.
The Library Spirit is the title of the campaign whose location was The London Library, a temple of literature in London.
Exclusive interview with Jean Charles Hita
Jean Charles is a former graduate of ESSEC Business School in Paris. Since his beginnings he has worked with luxury and renowned brands such as: Céline, Bulgari, Parker, Waterman, Burberry and Giorgio Armani. Since 2019 he has been the General Manager of the Montblanc Leather Division where, together with Marco Tomasetta, in one year he has managed to transform all the collections, seeking to modernise them without losing the essence of the Maison.
Montblanc is a cultural brand, which responds to the characteristics of: functionality, modernity, resistance and quality.
Jean Charles Hita tells us.
Horse: After working for Celine, Bulgari and Burberry, what attracted you to Montblanc to start your career as International General Manager for its leather division?
Jean Charles: I was seduced by its history, plus Montblanc is the world leader in writing and I am passionate about books, culture and writing in particular. I have three children who are also passionate about writing so when I was approached for this position, I had no hesitation in accepting.
Horse: What changes have you incorporated in these 4 years leading the leather goods division?
Jean Charles: First of all was to define the strategy and the customer we are targeting. We do not seek to depend on the tourism of a country but to know the customer who buys from us in every city in the world and to develop the best product, that is our vision. To create an increasingly better product.
The second part has been communication. We have travelled to all the countries in order to make our employees and customers aware of our new strategy.
Jean Charles Hita showing latest Montblanc Extreme 3.0 collection. with buckle M LOCK 4810 Right Meistertück Selection Soft Bag Tote in blue and black.
The third step was the arrival, in February 2021, of Marco Tomasetta, our creative director. Marco has a very modern vision of the product and in just one year, he has revamped all the leather collections. It sounds easy, but for a brand that has been making leather for more than 100 years, it is not. We have prepared this transformation together with our team and it has been a very important step.
In just one year, Marco Tomasetta has renewed all the leather collections. It sounds easy, but for a brand that has been making leather for more than 100 years, it is not.
Jean-Charles Hita explains
Horse: The forerunner in the field of fur is Italy?
Jean Charles: Exactly, we manufacture in a village called Scandicci, which is located 5km west of Florence and is where all the world’s fur is made. There we have our design team, the modelling, the prototypes, the fitters, the raw material testing and all our production is done in this area of Tuscany, because our Montblanc leather products are 100% produced in Italy.
Horse: What are Montblanc’s commitments to sustainability?
Jean Charles: Since the end of 2022 from the Richemont group we are PVC free and we have taken it out of all the products in our shops. The metals we develop are recyclable, for example the locks are made of MMA and we are very careful about the C02 emissions. Four years ago when I came to Montblanc I stopped all production of Crocodile and Ostrich.
Horse: What has been the most relevant collection for you, and why?
Jean Charles: The Meisterstück because it is the icon of the Maison Montblanc along with the feathers and it was the first line that Marco Tomasetti started on and it is the one that we launched a year ago, in March 2022. It was a challenge because his creative idea was to create a bridge between writing and leather, so for the development of this collection he took all the codes of the pen: the colour of the resin, the idea of the nib, the contrasting lining, all the details that make the Meisterstück pen the number one pen in the world in terms of writing, all this he wanted to bring to the bags.
Jean Charles Hita tells us:
It was a challenge to transform the Meisterstück collection because his creative idea was to create a bridge between writing and leather, so for the development of this collection he took all the codes of the pen: the colour of the resin, the idea of the nib, the contrasting lining, all the details that make the Meisterstück pen the number one pen in the world in terms of writing, all this he wanted to bring to the bags.
This was our biggest challenge, because without this collection nothing would have worked afterwards. And probably the collection I like the most is the one that came later, the Meisterstück Soft, because it is a much lighter, more modern construction, with new colours, new shapes and it was also a challenge, but not as important as the first one.
Horse: What is luxury for you?
Jean Charles: For Montblanc, luxury is hidden, it’s the details, it’s the quality of the lining, the stitching, the threads we choose, the quality of the inks.
It’s everything that you don’t see, but at the same time gives you the quality of the product. For us, the definition of luxury is ultimately discreet luxury, which is found in the details.
We have a customer who has a very high cultural value and who expects Montblanc to be sophisticated and at the same time discreet.
Horse: How would you define your style professionally speaking?
Jean Charles: Both my parents are Spanish, my mother from Madrid and my father from Cordoba, so I have the rigour and seriousness of a Spaniard, the lightness and creativity of an Italian and the culture of a Frenchman. I have been lucky enough to live in many countries around the world and I consider myself a European man who knows how to delegate, I am lucky enough to work with very good people who surpass me in what they do. Having a good team is the key to everything.
In private…
Horse: What is your must-have accessory?
Jean Charles: A pen and a book. I like to read a lot and I am lucky enough to read three books every month, one in each language: English, Spanish and Italian.
Horse: Fountain pen or biros?
Jean Charles: Ballpoint, rollerball, because I like the thickness and the fluidity.
Horse: Blue or black ink?
Jean Charles: I switch back and forth.
Horse: What is your favourite city to live in?
Jean Charles: I’m living in Florence, I love the Tuscan countryside, you have the art with the renaissance, the gastronomy and the wine, which is fantastic, I’m very good in Italy.
Horse: What are your hobbies?
Jean Charles: I have two: reading and the mountains. I like the mountains very much, we have a house in Switzerland for skiing and also for trekking.
Horse: What are your musical tastes?
Jean Charles: I’m quite a romantic person, I like a lot of sixties soul, at the moment I listen to a lot of D’Angelo, I also like Ravel’s bolero. I like the softness of soul and the intensity of classical music.
Horse: Instagram, Tik Tok or Facebook?
Jean Charles: Instagram.
Horse: Dog, cat or horse?
Jean Charles: Horse
Images courtesy of Montblanc and Horse.
