Traveling a new silk road, the house Gucci has come in Calabriaattracted by the echo of the tradition recovered by Miriam Pugliese, Domenico Vivino and Giovanna Bagnato, founders of Silk nestagricultural cooperative which, in the small village of San Florohas taken up the art of mulberry silkworm growing.
«This collaboration started with Gucci, who chose our project as best practice for the production of their first scarves made with silk threads from local organic agricultural practices, consolidates and embellishes our path built with sacrifices, research and constant commitment» declares Pugliese proudly.
The project to which he refers is part of the strategy Nature-Positive of the Florentine fashion house that has decided to invest in regenerative agriculture to increase the presence of organic raw materialsrecycled and responsibly sourced, aiming to protect and restore nature and biodiversity.
An objective shared by the three young entrepreneurs who, in the village at risk of depopulation, where they grow mulberries and raise silkworms every day, have managed to weave the precious silk thread with the luxury supply chains.
But the clue to the skein of Nido di Seta is to be found in the past: San Floro, in fact, was historically known for the breeding of silkworms. The Catanzaro area, due to the excellence of its manufactures, was defined as the European capital of silk. Then, in the last century, the tradition was lost.
«There was nothing left but the nostalgic stories of our grandparents, unknowingly, inspiring our company. Each of us had taken our own path, seeking professional affirmation abroad, but summer was the moment in which the company of childhood was recomposed. And just during an evening of summer holidays, looking at a mulberry grove of 3500 abandoned plants, the idea was born of recovering tradition to build a future, in our native village» thus the co-founder recounts the origin of the agricultural cooperative which stands out throughout Italy as the only producer of zero kilometer silk.
For this reason, strongly believing in the mission of the three young entrepreneurs who take care of the entire production process through a circular economy system, the Gucci maison has found in Nido di Seta the ideal reality to relaunch the Italian silk supply chain and ensure the excellence of the Made in Italy craftsmanship.
«It is important to underline that, unfortunately, in Italy, the practice of breeding silkworms it is abandoned, instead we have recovered the entire supply chain» points out Pugliese who, together with the other two partners, divides himself between cultivation, artisanal production and eco-experiential itineraries that attract visitors from every corner of the world.
The activities are constantly expanding also thanks to the network of artisans established around Nido di Seta: «We have created a sort of textile district – she explains – currently made up of 8 Calabrian weavers who work silk in their respective factories, creating a shared value as well as income for communities”.
To avoid the extinction of the ancient knowledge, on which their manufacture is based, the Academy was also recently launched which offers thematic courses related to craftsmanship and agriculture such as silkworm breeding, silk , weaving and the various methods of natural dyeing.
It is essential to pay attention to nature conservation through, above all, the planting of mulberry trees which improve soil conditions and increase its capacity to store carbon from the atmosphere.
In fact, they aim to involve other farmers to plant new mulberry trees – whose fruits and production waste, among other things, they also transform into by-products such as jams, herbal teas and cosmetics – so that they can meet the demand for fabric from part of the fashion house and at the same time create job opportunities in areas at risk of depopulation.
«The project is still in its infancy, but it could allow the creation of other Silk Nests throughout Italy. It certainly allows us to give life to creations of great qualitative, ethical and cultural value, ensuring a better future through
the love for the land and the tradition» comments Pugliese, not holding back the emotion of being able to see the traditions of his ancestors on the catwalks of international fashion.
Source: Vanity Fair
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