Category Archives: INNOVATION

ITMF rewards Ratti for the development of the Rehubs project.

COMPANY, INNOVATION, Magazine EN, SOSTENIBILITY

At the Annual Conference of the ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federation), held in September in Davos in Switzerland, the “ReHubs Initiative for fiber to fiber Recycling in Europe” project was among the winners of the ITMF Cooperation Award 2022. The certificate of the prestigious recognition was issued to the companies that contributed to the project, including Ratti Spa.

 

The Rehubs Initiative has developed a study and launched a collaborative project for the development of textile recycling technologies, in response to the challenges and goals of the European Commission’s Strategy for a Sustainable and Circular Textile, and constitutes a valuable tool for guiding the development of national EPR schemes

Ratti: when tradition and innovation come together to create excellence

COMPANY, INNOVATION, Magazine EN

Ratti’s fabric processing is the result of an art that is all-Italian. This is a mastery that is the result of attention to detail, respect for tradition and a new interpretation of fashion trends. The extreme finesse of the raw material is obtained through constant experimentation by the in-house research and development department, together with the most modern spinning, weaving and finishing techniques, to give the fabrics fluidity and a perfect balance between weights and surfaces.

Tradition and research come together to create a fabric that has been perfected over the decades, interpreting the needs of the leading fashion designers, and guaranteeing them a high quality fabric. In Ratti’s collections, classic fabrics, which are the result of weaving, can be found side-by-side with fabrics obtained using different printing techniques such as traditional table printing and digital inkjet printing.

They are all Ratti fabrics, the product of a Group that has made its spinning, weaving, finishing and printing departments the foundation of its success. Ratti fabrics are the skilful result of vast experience of a craftsmanship that aims for technological innovation in the processing of natural fibres. They represent the evolution of a company that chooses to continue manufacturing everything in Italy, directly monitoring the production chain.

Skilful craftsmanship and sustainable production

Ratti fabrics are designed and produced in such a way as to respect the harmony between quality and the production processes within the spinning, weaving and finishing departments. One of the Group’s distinguishing feature is its ‘green’ production, which harmoniously combines respect for the environment with the processing of over 5 million metres of fabric per year.

Ratti’s commitment to sustainability and its strong link with the local area is actually a hallmark of the company, which has always focused on preserving the quality of its fabric production processes. The search for new weaves and textures is inspired first and foremost by fashion trends, but also by nature, so that the collections can be enriched by new experimentation in patterns and designs, without abandonning the roots of elegant classicism that has always been the bedrock of the brand.

A state-of-the-art facility in the world of textiles

Ratti places great emphasis on the combination of traditional and manual craftsmanship in fabric printing techniques, and the specialisation, research and innovation in the spinning, weaving and finishing departments. In fact, the Guanzate plant is a state-of-the-art facility in which all departments are equipped with the most modern machinery in the sector. The Technical Development Centre focuses on innovation in production processes such as weaving, while the Research and Optimisation Centre (a team of chemical/textile engineers) is engaged in the research and application of new quality treatments on fabrics during the finishing process.

Discover the techniques for processing fabrics

Design fabrics

INNOVATION

Not forgetting Penelope’s shroud, woven during the day and unravelled at night to deceive her suitors, furnishing fabrics have for centuries been considered a synonym for comfort and luxury, exclusive beauty as well as practicality inside the home.

This is a world that, unlike fashion, is based on certainty, telling, from time to time, new stories through natural fibres such as linen, cotton, wool or velvet.

Furnishing fabrics that are not created simply to decorate but to emphasize the personality of a space, to make the room more precious, even if only through a sofa or armchair.

In this context, the furnishing fabrics of Ratti’s Domus division represent a cultured collection, born without any concrete inspiration other than colour itself, in all its variations, even the most subtle and hidden, through which the furnishing fabric assumes its most refined and elegant form.

Furnishing fabrics, classicism meets innovation

In addition to describing a journey with frequent references to classicism until leading to extreme minimalism, furnishing fabrics have a technological and eco-friendly inclination since nothing is left to chance: performance is a fundamental component in commercial choices.

This is why the Domus division at Ratti excels in research on textile materials with unprecedented results, giving furnishing fabrics new and three-dimensional textures that enhance the body and richness, between weft and warp. Jacquard furnishing fabrics become precious textiles thanks to metallic threads and laminations that restore unexpected brightness in an infinite interplay.

Natural fibres for furnishing fabrics

Furnishing fabrics by Ratti Domus favour natural fibres such as silk, wool and cotton in weights ranging from ultra light to ultra heavy. The collection features not only woven fabrics but also printed furnishing fabrics in shades ranging from mauve, to rose to blue, such as to find an affinity with everyone’s taste and not clash with the rest of the room.

From this point of view, the aesthetic of furnishing fabrics is characterised by moments and allusions that enhance the consistency between form and the material in which each element takes shape, in a combination that creates harmony between functionality of use and the aesthetic of the style offices. This blend of technical and creative aspects gives rise to a new perfect balance, the right recipe for a successful design fabric.

Furnishing fabrics: cotton velvet, wool, linen and brocade

Among furnishing fabrics, cotton velvet definitely stands out as a favourite. This fabric is created through the careful selection of the softest and strongest mercerised cotton to obtain comfortable and resistant high-quality Italian velvet. In addition, it is a particularly versatile furnishing fabric thanks to special finishes that optimise anti-drip and stain-resistant treatments, making it suitable for every room in the home. Captivating, with a soft and full-bodied hand, the velvet of the Ratti Domus collection has character and personality, not only from an aesthetic standpoint but above all for the performance offered.

Wool, the famous Golden Fleece that Jason traded with the kingdom of Iolcos, is still considered a fabric symbolic of wealth in the world or furniture as well as in fashion. In fact, tradition has it that wool was used to stuff and line the cushion on which the monarchs of Spain have been crowned since 1429, and even today the cushions and vestments of the House of Lords are decorated with the same fabric when the queen is present. Today, as then, wool is a strong point in collections for its simple coolness and its graphic and textile linearity, which never goes out of fashion.

Other furnishing fabrics worthy of mention include linen and brocade, for the upholstery of sofas and armchairs as well as for curtains. Speaking of these fabrics, there is no risk of slipping back into the classic, nor into Baroque patterns, because the colours and motifs proposed by Ratti Domus feature fresh shades combined with geometries and designs that are delicate in their simplicity.

The furnishing fabrics of the Ratti Domus collection are designed for the contemporary home, pervaded by a touch of culture and personality, mixing style with the aesthetics of good taste in the constant pursuit of authenticity and uniqueness.

Discover how the design fabric collections are born

2nd LIFE – NEW CIRCULAR TEXTILES

INNOVATION, Magazine EN, SOSTENIBILITY

NEW PRODUCTS, SERVICES, TECHNOLOGIES ARISING FROM THE REUSE AND RECYCLING OF MATERIALS

Our philosophy has always been built on a strong enhancement of artisanal and cultural resources, as well as on investments in sustainability, technology and research in order to be able to respond to the needs of a market from which more and more requests for clarity and transparency come. With this in mind, design investments and production choices have been guided in order to always seek sustainable solutions, making our headquarters in Guanzate an arena of real experimentation between innovation and product, in which the new Second Life project finds concreteness.

2ndLIFE FIBERS – NEW SUSTAINABLE WADDING

Formulated on the basis of specific application needs, this new sustainable wadding is created by reusing/recycling silk fibres, setting a new standard in the world of sports and casualwear. This is the perfect answer that enriches and diversifies the offer for a market that requires increasingly sustainable products, also ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.

Designed by the Ratti and Freudenberg research and development team, 2ndLIFE FIBERS transforms reused/recycled silk into insulation with excellent technical performance while establishing a versatile connection to the outdoors, whether mountain peaks or the greenery of a city park.

This unique, light and breathable wadding is an innovative insulator capable of balancing thermal comfort inside the garment. 2ndLIFE FIBERS pushes the classic concept of outdoor clothing to create a sustainable, season-less product. By reusing and recycling noble fibres, Ratti and Freudenberg confirm their interest in sustainability and environmental issues, going beyond the most complete respect for the rules of circular economy, with the primary goal of minimising environmental impact.

 

 

To live an omnichannel and digital experience

INNOVATION

Ratti has always been paying attention to the needs of its customers and is betting on digital to deliver an experience with a high emotional impact when presenting its fabrics, even without a physical presence. Perhaps the most innovative component of a technological infrastructure that multiplies the opportunities for interaction between customers and the Guanzate-based company are the HoloLens2 headsets—a tool that allows creating an environment where the physical reality of the product, other specific information players, and virtual reality features coexist. Microsoft HoloLens2 allows participants in the meeting to interact through digital contents and holograms displayed around the wearer. Developed in partnership with NASA, Hololenses are true wearable computers equipped with motion and depth sensors, cameras, and microphones to make the interaction with customers as real as possible.

At the same time, Ratti has continued digitising its historical archive, which features over one million items including fabrics, designs, and collections of samples. This upgrade process (the virtual archive does not replace the physical one, but rather complements it, enhancing the experience and making searching more effective), which is constantly evolving and improving thanks to a machine learning algorithm, allows customers to look for inspiration among over 400,000 designs—delivering an increasingly faster and more effective virtual one-to-one experience, with the opportunity to simulate the end result by rendering several clothing or furnishing models.

Among other goals, by exploring augmented reality environments and live connections, Ratti seeks to develop a collaborative creativity and product development process using simple and accessible tools with the required functionality. These include a work platform that serves as a true virtual desk shared with customers, combining the company’s creative skills with digital ones in creating, modifying, and eventually approving the designs proposed by the style office.