Ratti
Founded in Como in 1945 by Antonio Ratti, the company is a global leader in silk fabric production.
Ratti also makes textile accessories, like ties, scarves and foulards under license for various brands, including Givenchy, Furla, Elie Saab and Emanuel Ungaro.
Ratti was acquired in 2010 by the Marzotto Group.
Since 1958, when Ratti opened its factory in Guanzate, just south of Como, the company’s operations have comprised the full production process, from the treatment of yarns to weaving, dyeing, photo incision, printing and finishing.
Every year, Ratti produces more than 4 million meters of fabric, supplying textiles for fashion and for interiors, a division introduced in the Seventies.
One of Ratti’s strengths is its extensive archives include more than 400,000 samples of fabrics produced by the company over the years, starting from F1, the first foulard designed by Antonio Ratti. Each sample is presented with the original sketch and paper pattern. Ratti also acquired the archives of other companies and artists, including Suzanne Janin and Jean Peltier. The company also features a library including more than 14,000 books collected from all over the world, and makes this resource available to designers for research.
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In 1995, the Antonio Ratti Foundation helped create the Antonio Ratti Textile Center at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art “Ratti means past and future, technology and experimentation,” said Massimo Giorgetti, founder of men’s and women’s contemporary fashion label MSGM and creative director of Emilio Pucci. “Ratti, which has the biggest and the best textile archive in the Como region, offers not only an impeccable printing service but also special printed and jacquard fabrics.”
Mantero
Established in 1902, Mantero produces and distributes silk prints and fabrics.
Mantero, which is run by the fourth generation of the founding family, also produces accessories for international brands including Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood, Paul & Joe, Iceberg and Ines de la Fressange Paris. Every year, Mantero’s 45 employees in the textile manufacturing produce 740,000 meters of silk fabrics, while 127 workers in the printing division make about 1.6 million meters.
Its collections range widely, from supplying luxury houses to fast-fashion brands, and include disparate options, such as jacquards realized with silk and other natural and synthetic fibers.
Along with traditional printing methods — Mantero was among the first to introduce screen printing and recently patented “Double,” a technique allowing a pattern to be printed on both sides of a silk fabric by printing only one face — the company also invested in advanced ink-jet printers.
Mantero operates an atelier where designers creates patterns and motifs inside its factory, and also features a rich archive located in the city of Como. The archive includes about 10,000 books and tens of thousands of original drawings organized by themes.
For spring 2017, Mantero created a collection of jacquard fabrics ranging from hyperluxe with jewel-like effects to more sober and casual styles. The season’s bold prints feature such motifs as graphic waves, audacious animal prints and tropical designs.
Taroni
Founded by Amedeo Taroni in 1880, Taroni is one of the oldest silk textile companies still operating in the
Como district.
In 1999, Taroni was acquired by Michele Canepa. It’s rooted in tradition and still uses some of the weaves created by its founder, who was an artist as well as a textile expert. His designs are safeguarded in the company’s rich archives.
“What differentiates us from others in our district is our classic shuttle looms,” said Taroni managing director Maximilian Canepa. “We are the only ones to use them on an industrial scale, so we are able to continue a traditional method of producing fabrics meant to create exquisite garments.”
He added that this process keeps the sustainable tradition of fabric production alive.
Along with its traditional shuttle looms, Taroni also invested in advanced machinery and technology to produce sophisticated textiles for couture as well as ready-to-wear.
Taroni, which offers a wide range of options in prints and jacquards, has also been a pioneer in producing washed silk fabrics, which it started developing with Alber Elbaz during his early days at Lanvin.
It was recently certificated by the Global Organic Textile Standard and is working to launch a business-to-business online store, from which apparel companies may buy yarn-dyed and piece-dyed fabrics available in Taroni’s stock service. The Web site is expected to launch this summer.
For spring 2017, Taroni is presenting classics treated in disparate ways, including vintage prints, new jacquards, and fabrics with modern finishing and coatings. “Our collection is more of a showcase for customization and being able to develop whatever the clients needs are,” Canepa said.