Maserada sul Piave (Treviso), fabric warehouse of Tessitura Monti, 1940-1950, Industrial Archaeology collection.

EXPERTISE PASSED DOWN
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

Ah bella Italia: this country where no one cooks better than mamma, drives with more audacity than papà or swears more energetically than nonno! Family holds a very important place in Italian culture and it's the same in business. The boot's economy is composed of numerous small independent companies, which are, most often, family-run.

In fashion, since the 1960s, made in Italy has become synonymous with creativity and careful craftsmanship, it's "the Hermès spirit on a country scale" according to Raffaello Napoleone, managing director of Pitti Immagine, organizer of textile-clothing trade shows (Source: Le Figaro). A true superior quality label, it has become difficult to measure up (or to the boot) to the Italians, which is why many brands have their collections made by our Alpine neighbors. But how do we explain the success of Italian houses? Could the secret be the connection with the famiglia ? 

Yes and no, it's not because a company is run by the same family that it's better than another. What makes the difference is the transmission of traditional know-how passed from one generation to the next and the preservation of regional specialization. Thus, the maestri of leather are found mainly in Tuscany, while the finest fabrics are woven in the north of Biella, in Como, up to Treviso.

TREVISO, ECONOMIC JEWEL OF VENETO

Treviso is a bit like the middle child of Veneto - Italy's top tourist region: forgotten between its big sister Venice and its little sister Verona, with its Lake Garda. Treviso is only 28 km from Venice, and its small canals, medieval ramparts and narrow streets - minus the tourists - have nothing to envy it. Severely bombed during World War II, Treviso has become an important economic center in northeastern Italy with major companies like appliance manufacturer De'Longhi as well as many major brands in the clothing sector like Benetton, Diesel and breathable shoe manufacturer Geox.

Maserada sul Piave (Treviso), fabric sample collection from Tessitura Monti, circa 1950. Industrial Archaeology FAST collection – Photo from the Treviso Historical Archive of the Province of Treviso.

TESSITURA MONTI - 100 YEARS OF EXCEPTIONAL FABRICS

Among these numerous companies established in northeastern Italy is one of the greatest names in transalpine textiles: Tessitura Monti. Founded in 1911 by the three Monti brothers - Evaristo, Venerio and Bruno - the Italian house has specialized in manufacturing quality shirt fabrics for over a century. From fiber to spinning and from yarn dyeing to weaving made in Italy but also India with the creation of a subsidiary, Monti has managed to turn international while preserving its DNA as an independent family business. Today, Monti consolidates traditional know-how, cutting-edge technologies and environmental consciousness to create increasingly creative fabrics with artisanal quality. Sharing the same values, it's natural that we have selected the fabrics for our shirts from them for years.

MONTI AND MASK MANUFACTURING

To fight against the spread of the virus and contribute to the economic recovery of a country heavily impacted by the health crisis, the Monti mill, whose headquarters is located not far from Treviso, implements more than 100 years of know-how to manufacture fabric protective masks. These masks for the general public are primarily intended for businesses to protect their teams and allow them to resume their activity. 

OUR BARRIER MASKS IN MONTI FABRICS

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been working on manufacturing barrier masks from child size to adult size. Offered for sale a week ago, our 1200 masks in Monti fabric were sold in just a few hours. If you weren't able to buy any, don't worry, a second production is already underway. On the program: floral designs by Liberty London and more sober and timeless patterns to integrate elegantly into all your daily outfits!