Fashion and Food Tours in Northern Italy: Italy Anyone?

Italy Anyone?

For the past 15 years, I’ve travelled to Verona, Italy each summer. I first went there in 2006, primarily because I had found out they had an open- air opera that took place in a Roman arena.

So, off I went on my adventure, and I enjoyed not only the opera, but also the city itself.

Verona is a small city, situated in the north. It has a very strategic position in history, as it is between Milan (west) and Venice (east). Most trains from the north come down to Italy through Verona as well.

Enjoying gelato in Verona

 After my first year, I decided to study Italian, and then, I consciously decided to make friends (which is a bit of a push, even for me, as I have a shy side). All this has blossomed into many wonderful adventures and friendships. And, as always, I was always on the lookout for anything to do with fashion and cuisine.  I feel like serendipity follows me around. Who was to know that..

·      My landlord who was a banker, had a client who owns a knitting manufacturing mill

·      I would strike up a conversation with a small group at the next table in a restaurant, only to find out that he was a food tour guide

·      One of my girlfriends had a friend who was restructuring her grandmother’s home in central Verona into tourist apartments

·      The wife of a restaurant owner was a felter who gives workshops

·      My growing network of friends would watch out for textile/fashion/food things for me

·      Milan and Venice each are just over an hour train ride from Verona and trains run often

·      The ‘nonna’ (grandmother) of the knitting manufacturer’s family enjoys teaching pasta making and cooking to me and my friends

·      The gelateria owner would be willing to let us taste gelato in the realm of wine tasting

·      There is an amazing fashion museum in the country in the middle of nowhere; it was once the summer estate of a lord.

·      Verona is very fashion forward; store windows change constantly and are full of innovative design

·      And so on..

A few years in, I felt I had enough connections to lead small group tours of my second home, Verona. I first organized Fashion retreats and involve artisans, travel to Venice/Milan, and related. People are always gracious to us, and we have some of the most amazing experiences.

Below are some images

 

The Roman wall that touches our apartment building

Store window in Verona

Day trip to Venice

Visits to Jenny Klaer, a yarn store in Verona

A typical vineyard in Valpolicello region

Watching a purse making demo at Dolce and Gabbana in Milan

The sales woman modeling for us at Issey Miyake in Milan

More Issey Miyake fashion, Milan

Nonna... making pasta

This year, I’m hosting two retreats in the month of June. One for food (it’s great for couples), followed by one for fashion.  Information can be found at the links below.

https://www.cochenille.com/event/italy-fashion-retreat-2020/

https://www.cochenille.com/event/italy-food-retreat-2020/

Accessory Design with Garment Designer Pattern making Software

For the past five years, I’ve been designing leather handbags with Garment Designer, my pattern design software. (https://www.cochenille.com/garment-designer/garment-designer-overview/).

Most people think of it as only a ‘garment program’, but it can do so much more.

Each June, as I host a fashion retreat in Verona, Italy, I take my group of participants to meet Paolo and Dario, two brothers who are leather makers and the owners of Il Girasole in Verona. Over the years, I have become friends with these gentlemen, and they now humor me by allowing me to bring in a design concept and pattern from Garment Designer, and they translate it into a finished leather bag. I have several of these now, and so will share the design process.

Scalloped Purse, 2018

Inspiration Purse: note the scallop and the handles

The process generally begins with a concept or a purse or a photo inspiration. Here is the bag that started the thought process of my 2018 purse. It is from a store window in Como, Italy.

  

… I knew that the scallop would be the key feature of the bag, and that the handles would interact with the 'dagged' shape.

I start myself with a measuring tape, pencil and a quick rough sketch to determine the approximate size and dimensions

My rough drawing

 Then, I go visit Paolo and Dario to see what they think and to explore what leathers we might work with. Here is what we settled on.

I loved these two leathers... green embossed for outside, pink glitter for the inside

Paolo now gets involved as we look at my sketch, some other images from online, the leathers involved, and the dimension. (we do this in Italian …. I’m getting better at the language, and I’m certainly motivated to speak by the project).

Paolo working out ideas

Translating inches to metric

Then, off I go back to my apartment, and I create a pattern in Garment Designer to test out my measurements and concepts. Sometimes I find fabric and hand sew a sample, and sometimes I simply print out the pattern a tape it together. I’ve even made a sample out of the paper napkins from a restaurant.

Here are my Garment Designer patterns. I used a scalloped top to get the scallops. I will only use part of this pattern. Then, I built the smaller front piece and the piece that will become the bottom and side of the purse. Note that it gets wider to allow for a ‘pleat’ on the upper side panel)

Pattern for the scallop flap, the side/bottom and the under-front piece

Then, I print in actual size and tape the pieces together and take the sample to Girasole where we do an evaluation.

Generally, at this point Paola has a laugh, or he scratches his head and thinks. He aks questions, offers suggestions, points out my flaw in thinking, etc.

Paolo laughs.. pretty typical

Now is generally the time to discuss the finishing’s and hardware. So, often zippers and snaps/magnets come out.

Choosing the zipper, and findings

Once again, I go away and let the magic happen. At some point in this process, I generally bring my fashion group in to see how Paolo and Dario are progressing and to share their workshop with my group.

Here is my finished bag.. with the pattern beside it.

Finished bag on the left and my pattern on the right

Here is a detail of the inside and the pleat at the upper side of the side purse.

Inside of the purse.. oops.. my lipstick is peeking out!

Note the 'tuck' at the top side. It's a great detail, part of Paolo's signature in his work.
There is almost always a surprise aspect to the purse when I see the final project.

And here is my bag, back home in San Diego, being worn and loved.

Off to Balboa Park!

Closer view of the purse

I really enjoy doing these projects with Girasole, and I think Paolo and Dario feel the same. (or at least I hope they do).

Below meet Dario.. the other part of the business. He is standing with Barbara, who purchased this origami purse from them.; This was a project from a previous year. I’ll blog about that one in the future.

Brother Dario with Barbara and her new 'origami' bag.

Garment Designer does have an optional Plug-in for Tote Bags, Couture Totes. There are twelve bags in the set, each designed after a garment style (e.g. Peasant top, Ruffle Purse, etc.). They offer Small, Medium and Large sizes, and can be a great starting point for your own original style.’ Garment Designer owners can simply add this on, or it is available as a stand-alone software program.

Go here for more information, and scroll down a bit.

Thanks to Paolo and Dario for their ingenuity at translating my inspirations and patterns to actual Italian leather handbags!

Il Girasole - Artigianato del Cuoio

 Via Sant'Egidio, 15, 37121 Verona VR, Italy

Phone: +39 045 832 8693