Only on reflection have I come to realize how much of the ADYÉR journey runs through Venice. Each visit drew on what I already knew, whether I knew it at the time or not — and each one led somewhere new.
This visit brought me to Rubelli. Years earlier, in store creative, I had come to know Rubelli’s fabrics: woven silks one might think too delicate for an interior, yet they turned an everyday space into something special. Now I wanted to see the house firsthand, in its home, and to learn how else its fabrics have been used, within interiors and beyond. It was a full-circle moment.
Leaving the narrow, pedestrian-only walkways of San Marco, I stepped into the palazzo and into another world. It felt inviting and open rather than opulent. What drew me in were the fabrics, on the walls, the ceilings and the furniture. I could not get enough of them.
A gentleman sat at a desk, surrounded by fabric and Rubelli catalogs. He welcomed us warmly, then left us to explore the fabrics, the decorative pillows and other pieces on display. When my friend and I asked about some of the artist collaborations, he was more than happy to take the time to share their details and background.
It felt inviting and open rather than opulent.
What I recall most are small drawstring pouches. Patterned silk on the outside, lined in a contrasting color within, each was finished with a cord and small gold-toned ends. Laid flat, it sat as a square; pull the cord, and it gathered closed. They were made from remnant fabric, and yet they were just as beautiful inside as out.
Stepping back into the walkways of San Marco, I began to think differently about fabric, and about what it can become beyond the expected.
— Aimée