About Carlo

“Basta! I’m leaving!” Celeste Lanza packs his suitcase with some clothes. “What about me? What should I do?”, says Carlo, his younger brother. Celeste snatches a pair of socks from Carlo’s hand and looks at him. There is a moment of silence between the young men. “Come with me boy.”

This is probably the way it went. Around 1880 they left from the small village Pinzolo to The Netherlands, looking for a better future. The brothers end up in The Hague. Celeste Lanza, my great-grandfather, went from door to door to sharpen the knives of housewives.

Business is good, but after a period of time Celeste opens his first billiards-café. A striking career switch. Celeste is also the first Italian in the Netherlands who’s making and selling his own Italian ice cream during the summer months. In the year 1889 he was already seen on the boulevard of Scheveningen. A golden move!

I am extremely proud of these ancestors and this story. There are also some similarities. I also have made a long journey to find my own happiness. Okay, it was just a move from The Hague to Heerenveen in Friesland, but still the same Italian roots led me to make a special career move as well.

I pulled up the naughty shoes and started my own sock brand, with my own name as the brand name: Carlo Lanza.

I left a stable job with good career prospects. I envisioned happiness elsewhere. The step to entrepreneurship. From ice cream seller to sock seller. It’s a fine line, as Italian craftmanship is central to both stories.

All Carlo Lanza socks are produced in Italy by a typical family business. No fewer than 6 brothers work within this company, each within his own expertise. Deliver  quality is most important to me, but also that production will be done in a honest manner. No exploitation of personnel, but fair wages and taking responsibility within the production process. For example all yarns are dyed without chemical additives under the OEKO TEX® quality mark. So less harmful to the environment.

I started this amazing adventure in January 2016 and meanwhile I already work with more than 250 points of sale in different countries in Europe. Unbelievable! The plan for the future is to let this number grow worldwide, to take my social responsibilities, but above all, to make and deliver the best quality socks!

Ciao,

Carlo