Ancient Roman soldiers carried satchels made ... handbags became more than a practical necessity. Today, the heart of this artisanal trade in handbags, as it has been for decades, is Italy.

A series of raids in Italy has exposed the contrast between ... into working conditions at local factories found workshops ...

and the source of the ‘Made in Italy’ aura – could be lost forever”, a report by the management consultancy McKinsey warned in April. Italian handbags are world-famous for their ...