By Giulia Piceni. Cover image courtesy of ApritiModa – Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson and Estelle Lefébure posing for SS 1988 collection lensed by Frank Yarbrough. (Enrico Coveri The King of Colors, Silvio Balloni, Gruppo Editoriale).
Getting a behind-the-scenes look at Florence’s most prestigious fashion houses is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. The city is brimming with hidden gems for fashion lovers to explore, and with ApritiModa 2024 edition taking place on October 19 and 20, 2024, it’s easy to uncover them. Simply visit their website, choose your city, and reserve the experiences that intrigue you. For a tailored guide to Florence’s exclusive fashion spots, check out the map on the ApritiModa website. Get ready to step into the world of fashion insiders and discover the artistry and luxury that define Florence.
ApritiModa 2024: 5 amazing fashion hubs and ateliers to visit now
ApritiModa 2024: Antico Setificio Fiorentino, The Art of Silk Weaving in Florence
During ApritiModa 2024, Stefano Ricci will open the doors of his Antico Setificio Fiorentino. The workshop is located in the heart of San Frediano, down a narrow alleyway where ivy climbs the walls. Since 1786, Florence’s most prominent families have gathered here to work on one of the city’s most valuable resources: silk. Large workshop windows illuminate the looms, where women still work with spools, and the machines hum with their ceaseless rhythm. There’s also a warping machine, designed from an original sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, which is kept in the private Windsor collection in London. The silks and brocades produced here have adorned important places, from the Kremlin to the Swedish Royal House.
Via Lorenzo Bartolini, 4, Florence
ApritiModa 2024: Archivio Ferragamo – a Journey Through Fashion History
The Ferragamo Archive is located a few kilometres from the historic Palazzo Spini Feroni, within the company’s headquarters in Sesto Fiorentino. It primarily serves as a product archive, documenting every aspect, from design to final production. The archive contains a wide variety of items, including footwear, handbags, small leather goods, clothing, and silk accessories, as well as documents, patents, photographs, films, and works of art. These collections are divided into different preservation rooms, allowing visitors to explore the history of the fashion house through both thematic and chronological pathways. Visitors will have access to a space that is usually reserved for in-house creative offices and fashion history scholars, offering them the opportunity to discover the genius of Salvatore Ferragamo.
Via Giuseppe Mercalli 205-207, Osmannoro, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence)
ApritiModa 2024: Enrico Coveri, Where Fashion Meets Art
Lungarno Guicciardini, once home to the Medici family, now houses a palace with an extraordinary secret. Behind its grand doors, there is a deconsecrated church that Enrico Coveri transformed into an art gallery. The palace contains everything, including the atelier where sewists still sew sequins using knitting needles. They use a technique that involves knitting a stitch, purling a stitch, and then adding a small, colourful plastic disc on the third stitch. For Coveri, sequins are what chains are to Chanel. For the first time, visitors will be able to see the wedding dress created for Bianca di Savoia Aosta, Countess Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga.
Lungarno Guicciardini, 19, Florence
Loretta Caponi – Exquisite Lingerie and Royal Elegance
The atelier in the historic heart of Florence spans 850 square metres and is where high-fashion lingerie is crafted. Loretta Caponi’s exquisite garments draw inspiration from 19th-century embroidery techniques and have been worn by prominent figures such as the Duchess of Kent, Queen Paola of Belgium, Jane Fonda, emirs and rock stars. Visitors to ApritiModa 2024 will also be captivated by the luxurious home linens, silks, and linens used by royal families worldwide, including Windsor, Orange-Nassau, Bourbon, as well as by the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Kennedys, and Gettys. The atelier also houses a private archive of thousands of fashion items of various kinds, spanning from the 1500s to 1960.
Via Delle Belle Donne, 28/R, Florence
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: The Intersection of Fashion and Performance
The Teatro del Maggio in Piazza Vittorio Gui is a testament to Florence’s rich musical history and connects Renaissance Florence with the city’s Parco delle Cascine. It is a grand structure that embodies the harmony of orchestral music and the allure of opera. Behind the intricate machinery that brings operas to life lies one of the most captivating departments: the sartoria (costume workshop). It houses stage costumes designed by Giorgio De Chirico and other masterful creations, showcasing the theatre’s artisanal treasures.
Piazza Vittorio Gui, 1, Florence
