ApritiModa returns on October 19 and 20 for the eighth consecutive year. The event was conceived by the journalist Cinzia Sasso and consists of a journey to discover the behind the scenes of Italian fashion.
Companies, laboratories and ateliers will open their doors to free public visits, as they do every year, to give the opportunity to learn about the beauties and secrets of Italian fashion, meet and talk to those who work every day to ensure that the fame of Made in Italy is kept high through their products. From those who create great tailoring clothes, to those who make sculpture-jewels, to experts in the art of embroidery, to those who make accessories such as headbands, hats, turbans, to those who produce sportswear in view of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
Over the years, the premises of leading global companies have opened their doors for ApritiModa: from Armani, to Prada; from Versace to Dolce&Gabbana; but also small workshops such as Pino Grasso Ricami, Gallia&Peter Cappelli, the artisan umbrella factory Maglia, the Omega glove factory in Naples that sells on Fifth Avenue, the Sartoria Litrico with that rehearsal mirror in front of which a parenthesis of the history of the Dolce Vita has passed, just to name a few.
Among the first-timers, there is Lineapelle-Unic, which with its 30,000 leather samples, preserves a unique heritage in the world; this year visitors will have the opportunity to make small objects (key rings, airpods covers) using the leather scraps made available to them, participate in workshops that will guide the participants to discover the art of Italian glove making or Giorgio Linea's workshops to learn how to create objects and decorative elements. And again the OTB Group by Renzo Rosso which this year will open three of its Venetian offices: the headquarters and the laboratory dedicated to Staff International knitwear, the production hub where the collections of the group's brands are made (including Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander and some Diesel lines), and Stephen, a historic shoe factory specializing in the production of luxury footwear.
Among the new entries of this edition there is Fortuny, renowned for its collections of textiles and home accessories made with the same top-secret ingredients, methods and machinery conceived by the founder Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo at the beginning of the 20th century and installed in the historic Giudecca factory, where only the owners and a few trusted friends can enter. The Barilla Group exhibits, for the first time, six of the precious dresses worn by Mina in the commercials directed by Piero Gherardi between '66 and '67. A journey through feathers, trains and bodices in Pedrignano, just outside Parma, at the Group's headquarters. Moving to the south, Barbarulo 1894 Napoli joins the ApritiModa family, and in the Venetian hinterland, Barena Venezia, the Tabarrificio Veneto e Cini, companies founded by Sandro Zara.
"We are always very happy with the affection with which the public welcomes ApritiModa every year, decreeing its success," said Cinzia Sasso. "Over the years we have gone from the 14 places open in 2017 to the 100 last year and which in 2023 saw the participation of 20,000 visitors. A weekend to listen to the stories of large and small companies that are protagonists of Italian excellence and to observe their production processes. Stories of businesses, artisans, entrepreneurs who represent a strength for the country's development and who will make available to the public the path that led them to success."
The collaboration between NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti and ApritiModa is renewed, which for this eighth edition is divided into a contest, launched to the students of the Academy together with the Consortium for the protection of DOC Prosecco. The students of the Three-year Degree in Graphic Design and Art Direction of NABA were in fact asked to create the graphics for a digital campaign that will be declined on the Consortium's social profiles.
Photo: Guantificio Omega
