Our Story
Over eighty years has passed since our founding and our commitment to producing only the highest grade footwear.
It all began with Bruno Lovato, shortly before World War II. The legacy was then entrusted to Cornelio Lovato, the second generation of the family, whose vision, dedication, and craftsmanship strengthened the foundations of a tradition built on authenticity and uncompromising quality.
Today, Luca Cornelio Lovato, representing the third generation, carries that heritage forward through Kjøre Project, alongside a select group of artisans and skilled craftsmen, creating footwear and accessories that blend Nordic aesthetics with Italian manufacturing excellence.
This conceptual Norwegian brand made with supreme Italian raw materials, a continental element that touches every aspect of the company. With a narrow focus, constant learning, agile processes and creative thinking, continually improve the solutions and insights share.
At Kjøre Project , we strive to create modern products that respect the past. All the styles in the Heritage collection are designed and built just as they were fifty, sixty and even over eighty years ago and are all made using premium leather, totally handcrafted to the specifications which made each style timeless when they were first introduced.
In the end, all of these elements combine beautifully to evoke a charming elegance that is distinctly Kjøre Project ‘s own.
Leather & Materials
This is a slow process dependent on the skill and artistry of passionate and committed tanners. It is the careful attention of dedicated tanners and their refusal to compromise on materials and the time necessary to achieve the desired result that differentiates our tanned leather from all other leathers.
Instead of peeling and cracking our leather develops its own patina, changing gradually in appearance and taking on the character of its user over time.
The scars, scratches, veins and wrinkles that give each piece in our collection its unique character have not been sanded down or buffed. We specifically chose not to cover minor imperfections with paint sealers or artificial finishes, using only clear dyes in a range of colors that enhance rather than conceal the beautiful character of our leather.
We take careful note of how our materials look after 12, and 24 months of heavy use.
With a progressive sustainability concept we also created some new eco-sustainable items, entirely from recycled materials, such as natural cork or tanned paper.
All our products are crafted with high-quality leather, a responsible byproduct of the food industry. This approach repurposes an existing material, reducing waste and contributing to more sustainable production.
Workshop
Even now when people think that machines and technology can only make products, genuine leather still can only be worked by hand. This is why genuine leather products made by highly skilled craftsmen are enjoyable to look at and provide a great deal of warmth.
People never get tired of possessing these fine items; our team of Italian designers and craftspeople produced each Kjøre Project piece by hand, utilizing the same style of tools that have been used to create leather goods for years.
We blend classic techniques with modern mechanics to achieve the best possible treatment within each step of production, we embarked on a quest for perfection – perfection in design and perfection in craftsmanship.
Now the collection is constantly growing and the company collaborate to many Italian artisanal laboratories, with own experience but with the maximum respect to work, and to the human right. All comine toghether with an incredbile experience and passion.
