There is a discreet fascination associated with the brand Ratti, a reminder linked to the hypnotic effect of designs and colours expressed through infinite metres of fabric. A sophisticated journey composed of fabrics for suits regulated by a pure aesthetic that governs every cut and breathes life into it.

Ratti, through its own collections of fabrics for suits, has been able to embrace and transcend the rules of dress, creating new ones without however neglecting anything, either codes or heritage, instead laying the foundations of a new way of conceiving the world of textiles.

Fabrics with a thousand facets

The value of Ratti’s suit fabrics is first of all in the thought and attention given to dressing. Each collection represents the perfect synthesis of that ability to mix colours, patterns and designs harmoniously and, not least, to make this quest for harmony appear to be a natural exercise, an attitude that is part of its DNA.

The suit fabrics of the Ratti collections oscillate between reminiscences and re-appropriations in the sense that they are able to grasp the transversality of styles, thus escaping the clutches of those who would like to encapsulate them within a definition by establishing limits or boundaries. Each metre of fabric draws a personal map in the elegance of those who choose it and wear it.

It matters not if the Ratti fabric will give shape to a coat, to the lapels of a jacket or to the outline of a pair of trousers; what matters is that every cut is appropriate to the purpose, is made with the suit or jacket and trousers in mind in order to enhance still further the personality of the wearer.

Fabrics: the origin of a suit

In order to obtain the finished garment, everything starts with the choice of fabric. The work of creating a collection of suit fabrics comes first of all from research, an in-depth study to acquire knowledge and inspiration that have made Italian taste and fashion, from Fellini’s ‘dolce vita’ onwards, a point of reference among the elite brands from around the world.

Every metre of fabric is developed and designed by imagining the suit or jacket and trousers for everyday use whether in classic tones or an elegant print more appropriate to the afternoon or evening. It is the fabric that determines the style of the suit, which is why the design of the collection is the backbone of all creative work.

So for Ratti weaving is a real art: looms, the movements of the machine and the experience of the craftsman in interweaving, not only warp and weft, but ideas and talent, along infinite metres of fabric before it lands on the table of tailors and fashion houses, where from their perception of the cut and their desire to create a style, each fabric will find its own suit.

It is almost a ritual, pure magic, when the Ratti fabric is laid out and the shape of the suit is traced onto it. In that outline we can appreciate the ability and the experience of the couturier, and a recognisable style is traced out, whose details determine success.

Tailors and Ratti suit fabrics represent an unbreakable union consisting of material and gestures, lines and shapes definitively enshrining the osmosis between fashion and clothing. From this moment on, Ratti’s suit fabrics will follow the changes in the seasons, always there ready to be used, so that any jacket or trousers that result will never go out of fashion because their workmanship and the fabric will meet the challenge of time.

Clothes have always been an expression of the desire to impress, to showcase oneself, one’s individuality and importance. Consequently, the fabric of which it is made must be fine, refined and, if possible, exclusive, all characteristics that are expressed in the excellence of the fabrics, in the variety of the colours and patterns, as well as in the line and in the craftsmanship, which must be of the highest order.

The fundamental element that distinguishes custom-made clothes from off-the-peg is undoubtedly the personalised paper pattern, created ad hoc by the tailor, and the fine fabric that is selected to give shape to the idea. This is an art practised by those who have perfectly mastered the craft in order to transfer the excellence of the fabric to the garment, recreating the charm of made-to-measure clothes.

Once a client experiences the world of the handmade, the fine fabrics gathered in bunches or on bolts, the needle, the thread and the skill of the hands of the tailor, they will find it hard to do without it. This is a world to which we remain faithful, a world that represents one of the last bastions in which the care for the fabric, the design and then the creation of the garment remain bound to the art of the tailor.

A fine fabric for each stylish suit

The suit remains par excellence the most refined clothing for a man, provided that the line, colour and fabric are right and appropriate for the occasion, the time of day, the season or the weather. When you decide on a suit, you must not make compromises: from the natural line that will show the figure in the best light, to the fine fabric, an essential element for obtaining an impeccable result.

From among the types of fine fabrics, Carnet recommends:

Pinstripes

White lines on a blue background still remain a classic par excellence. Considered the fine fabric symbolic of the businessman, of finance and politics. For this reason the choice of this fabric can always be found in Carnet’s bunches and in the collections presented by fashion houses.

Pinpoint

Also known as salt and pepper, this fine fabric is another classic for making suits in shades of grey or dark blue. More sober than a striped fabric, pinpoint is considered suitable for every occasion.

Solid colour

Solid coloured worsted fabrics are generally available in every shade of colour and are chosen based on the use that will be made of the suit. To avoid mistakes and to opt for a jacket/trousers suitable for year round use, it is preferable to choose medium weight fabric and preferably opt for dark colours in shades of grey.

Prince of Wales

The classic Glen Check is a checkered motif that originated in Scotland to identify membership of a clan by means of a design. Although considered a fine fabric, this type of fabric is not suitable for making a “business” suit but remains more appropriate for sportswear to be worn during leisure time. The fine fabrics offered in the collection by Carnet all clearly bear the ‘Made in Italy’ hallmark, a characteristic which at the same time encompasses romance, wise elegance and a sense of style typical of a brand like Carnet.

The Tunisian Ministry of Social Affairs, through the Inspectorate of Medicine and Safety at Work, has awarded Creomoda the Covid certificate of excellence, for its commitment to tackling this difficult situation, reaching the level of compliance in the management of Covid risk -19.

Right from the start, Creomoda scrupulously followed all the procedures required by the protocol not only within the production site but also in the organization of logistics and transport, adopting all the necessary measures to counter the spread of the virus.

The medical staff who work internally at Creomoda and who are part of the Inspectorate of Medicine and Safety at Work, after having examined the situation, drafted a positive report to the Control and Health Organization of the Tunisian Ministry which decided to assign this certification to the company

The boteh or paisley pattern – also referred to as Cachemire in Italian – is a seducing design with ancient origins that recalls exotic fantasies and remote countries. This drop with a curved extremity has been drawn and re-drawn in countless variations. Very few decorative motifs have left such a marked trace in the history of textiles and fashion, which are still cast under its magical spell today.
The exhibition Paisley pattern, marks in movement, is organized by Fondazione Antonio Ratti  (FAR) in partnership with Comune di Cernobbio. It will be held from June 18th to September 18th 2016 at Villa Sucota in Como and Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio.

The paisley design is a contemporary classic, present in many historical archives of the textile manufacturers of Como. It has long provided various chances for textile operators – from designers to technicians – to display their outstanding skills, which are now recognized around the world as the soul of Como’s textile industry.

More than 150 exhibits – ranging from textiles to scarves, dresses, accessories and ties – will guide visitors across an itinerary that traces the evolution of this mythical pattern in different countries and historical periods.

For further information: www.fondazioneratti.org

In the renovated Ratti archive, textile materials and digital innovation find a new space in which to co-exist on the more than 750 square metres added to the previous facility.

Walking through the aisles and browsing through the 600,000 fabrics, rather than leafing through the 15,000 volumes ranging from paper patterns to precious photographic books arranged along the 6 double shelves that extend for 20 metres, is a way to explore the world of fashion and design of the last 100 years.

In the renovated Ratti archive, traditional and new materials intermingle, crossing boundaries and being used in unexpected ways and, thanks to new technological advances, enabling designs to acquire an allure and to offer increasingly high-performance solutions. Weft and warp disappear leaving room for fabrics and prints that are the result of a tradition and a wealth of experience that are only to be found in Ratti. Thanks, then, to its complete digitisation, two styles and ways of utilising of this space can be preceived: on the one hand fabric as a finished product, the onging fruit of research, experimentation and investment, and on the other hand, fabric as a living and integral part with the world of fashion, design, architecture and art.