Veronica Spano
Veronica Spano is a sustainability-focused fashion professional with over six years of academic and industry experience. She works with SMEs and start-ups in the fashion sector to implement circular economy strategies, develop sustainable business models, improve manufacturing processes, and navigate Made in Italy supply chains. Her expertise also includes product development and life cycle assessment (LCA).
Veronica teaches courses in sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation management, cultural economics, and fashion manufacturing. She is the founder of CEA Capsule, a brand committed to ethics, design, and sustainability, guided by the principle “Progettare per non essere progettati.”
The Myth of the Origin — How Historical Entrepreneurial Narratives Retrospectively Shape the Identity of Made in Italy Fashion Entrepreneurs in Time
This paper examines how entrepreneurial narratives in the Italian fashion industry contribute to the construction of the myth of the origins of the entrepreneur. Using ethnographic history, it analyzes the autobiographical accounts of Luciano Benetton, Renzo Rosso, and Veronica Fusco, showing how past events are reinterpreted to shape their entrepreneurial identities, brand identity, and legitimize success in time. These ex-post narratives emphasize selected traits that align with current strategic goals rather than reflect historical reality. The study highlights how entrepreneurial identities are constructed and justified with generational rhetoric while leveraged as brand heritage marketing tools — contributing to our understanding of entrepreneurship as a socially and historically situated process.