It was a brisk evening in early November and the streets of Rome lead to churches and ancient ruins. I just left the Vatican, which holds the largest collection of art in the world, and only had one more box to check off my list of things to do. Fabric shopping at Bassetti Tessutii-the famous fabric store in Rome.
The sign at the bottom of the stairs inviting you up.
Book cover of Fashionpedia. Buy this book!
I found out about the store a few weeks before leaving for my trip. In a book, I suggest everyone within the fashion industry own, Fashionpedia by Fashionary. It touches on every single topic within the fashion world. On page 294, there is a map of all well-known fabric sources around the world and I was lucky enough to be near one in Rome.
I took a cab from the Vatican and the driver dropped me off in some random location where I still had to walk another 5 blocks. Finally made it, but I couldn't tell if the address was correct. To my surprise, the street level part of the store was home decor goods. Once my confidence was high enough to walk in and explore, I was told to head upstairs. When I got to the second floor (in Italy and most of Europe it is called the first floor), I was a bit concerned.
A bit bewildered.
It wasn't what I expected at first but I quickly realized how cool the place was. There was wall to wall fabric, 12-15 foot (or 5 meters) walls with every fabric type you could ever want. I walked the whole flat and was overwhelmed because I knew I was buying something and now I had to make a decision. I was a kid in a candy store and found that the wool suitings was my chocolate section.
My guy, the cutter and expert.
Italians take pride in their fashion, so I had to kind of work my way into their queue and stay there. I only found one man that was well-versed in English and he was my guy. He took me to back rooms to check out cotton for overcoats and wools that were not out yet.
The hand of a fabric is how it feels to the touch.
My purchase reciept.
After about an hour or so of touching and designing in my head, I collected and chose my purchases. It was high quality and not cheap. The least expensive fabric was 25 euros a meter and the most expensive was 45 euros a meter.
I spent 414,16 in euros which is about $493 US dollars. I am happy with the opportunity to travel and visit places that I am so passionate about. These travels help me grow as a professional designer and as an individual.
Keep an eye out for what I make with these high quality and beautiful fabrics. More to come!
