The Italian atmosphere

A great sense for fashion trends. Top-notch in-store advice for men and women. Lucas Kuntner is more than just a shoe salesman.

A mild and lovely Thursday evening. The little piazza located in the historic village centre of Lana is filled with warm lights. The quiet rush of the fountain is accompanied by live music from a band. People sit outside, enjoying their Hugo and Veneziano drinks, while others stroll along the small market stalls and food stands. Some children have started dancing to the music. The air is filled with the flavours of culinary delights. Italian atmosphere – right in the heart of the Alps.

Lana’s “Long Thursdays Nights” held from June to August are filled with all kinds of events and celebrations, because “the later the evening, the younger the night”: Engaging dance shows, flea markets, great drinks and numerous traditional games and activities
for kids draw large crowds to the village square. Yet there is more to the special atmosphere of Lana’s “Long Thursdays” than just great food and entertainment. The hustle and bustle of the day’s business in shops and firms dies down, and (window) shopping becomes a whole new and relaxing holiday experience at this time of night. This is especially true for the posh shoe stores like Calceus or the little In Piazza store l ocated right across the little fountain – on just 24 square metres, customers find a truly unique atmosphere.

Once home to a general store, the shoe shop has kept the original wooden floors, the bar and the old shelves formerly used to store flour and condiments, and turned them into shoe displays. Shoes made from real Italian leather and luxury sneakers are arranged right next to ankle boots and college-style slippers. Young and modern. “Italy is at the forefront of fashion, shoes and accessories”, Lucas Kuntner explains. The 33-year-old has been working at the shop since 3pm this afternoon. But even if the “Long Thursdays”
mean long working hours for him, he “wouldn’t want to miss
them anymore”.

The In Piazza shop opened ten years ago, when Lucas Kuntner started working for his family’s business. The passion for fashion and elegance has a long-standing tradition in his family, and he started his professional career as a shoe seller when he was only 13 years old and was allowed to help out at his father’s shop during the summer breaks. After graduating from secondary school, he went to Verona University to study languages and hospitality management before returning to the family business. Whenever Kuntner doesn’t spend time at his In Piazza store, he works as a skiing instructor out on the mountain slopes in his role as the manager of the skiing school at the San Vigilio/Vigiljoch family skiing resort.

Together with his father and his sister, he is responsible for purchasing for the three family-owned shoe stores and solely responsible for marketing and social media. “I like the fact that my area of responsibility is so diverse”, the father of a two-year-old daughter tells us.

“It’s not just about selling the shoes or talking to your customers at the shop. Before the shoes end up on display in our windows, there is lots of background work to do”. Kuntner attends trade shows and showrooms in Milano to pick items from the latest collections to be sold the next season. He always tries to spot trends as early as he can – and he has a great sense for fashion trends. The numerous regulars that visit his shop confirm that: “If you want authentic Italian quality, you should buy from
the Kuntner family”. Many people come to the shop on this Thursday night in August. With celebrations going on outside, Kuntner takes his time in the shop to present modern leather shoes in dark blue, low shoes in shiny black and ankle boots in dark red, all of them featuring sturdy soles: “This is the trend of the year”.