During this autumn visit to Florence, I arranged a stop at Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a silk atelier dating back to 1786. At this stage, my knowledge of Florence and its silk was minimal. Of course, I knew Florence as an epicenter for some fashion houses, but not for silk in particular.
The morning began with a walk through the Florentine streets, across the Arno River and into the San Frediano neighborhood. The entrance was unassuming. In fact, I realized I had walked past this gem on a previous trip. A plaque reading simply “Antico Setificio Fiorentino” told me I had arrived.
Walking through the open gates and down the driveway, I already felt an understated sense of beauty. I was uncertain what to expect, but I was beginning to sense an energy I would only fully appreciate once inside.
The atelier team greeted me warmly in the showroom. Rolls of silk lined a wooden rack along the wall: damasks, stripes and taffetas in shades of blue, cream and gray. I tried to remain professional, but all I wanted to do was break away and wander the room, to feel the hand of each and every fabric, to study its design, to soak in all of the knowledge around me.
From the showroom, we went into the workshop. My first impression was one of amazement. This was not a museum. This was a living, breathing workshop, with artisans at work at their looms.
As I was guided through, I saw an 18th-century warping machine built to a design by Leonardo da Vinci. It stood in the room so unassumingly that one could easily walk past it without a second glance.
Then came the Jacquard looms, some worked by hand and foot by skilled artisans. The pattern lives in punched cards; each hole tells the loom which threads to lift. I watched the cards move through the loom, one after another, as the design took shape in silk.
This was not a museum. This was a living, breathing workshop.
Then there were the trims. The atelier still weaves its own galloon, a narrow band long used to finish ceremonial garments, heavy drapery and formal uniforms. On a finished piece, I might have glanced right past it. Now, I saw its intricacy and detail in a whole new light.
The tassels were next. Until then, I had known them from decorative pillows and from tiebacks on curtains. Seeing how they are crafted here was fascinating.
A part of me did not want to leave the workshop. I wanted to stay, to keep learning and observing. Yet it was time to return to reality.
Back in the showroom, I looked again at the rolls of silk, the decorative pieces and the accessories I had seen that morning. Something was different now. I understood how each piece had been crafted, from the skill of working the machines to the eye for detail needed at every stage. The team behind each and every one of these fabrics was incredible.
That visit to Antico Setificio Fiorentino left an impression that continues to shape how I approach design.
— Aimée