by Maddalena Baldini

The history of Made in Italy and high professionalism is a certain presence in any work environment. It is a combo of excellence that, in the specific case of textiles, can make the difference in terms of quality and attention to various aspects such as the environment, raw materials, continuous innovation and, of course, the customer. An example of this successful mix is Tessitura Bottinelli, in the province of Como, that started manufacturing in 1931 with the production of yarn-dyed jacquard fabric in acetate and cellulose fibres for ties. Over the years, it has evolved by broadening its focus to include promotional items, with a corporate department dedicated to meeting the demand for personalisation in the field of men's and women's fashion accessories. Attilio Bottinelli, owner of Tessitura Bottinelli, gives an overview of that time, talking about the market and how the historic company in Como is operating.

How are the company and the sector relaunching after these difficult months?

"Despite the difficult times, we continue to work with determination, always following our corporate philosophy. Of course, work is moving slowly, but we are confident about the future and expect that things will pick up pace again. In addition, we are putting a lot of effort into environmental protection and innovation, which are essential to recovery.”

How has the market changed? Are there any new trends or special requests?

"Competition has decreased, many companies have closed down or been taken over by larger ones, and as a result, one has to 'adapt' to a different and changing market. On the other hand, customers are increasingly focused on services, which is why we use creativity, fine and resistant yarns and, always heading towards innovation, we are investing in digitisation, creating actual digital samples. What's more, shoppers are turning to environmentally friendly items: here too we are in line with the times as we have been awarded the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification for our recycled polyester fabrics. Specifically on this topic, we launched a number of new products that are proving very successful.

What are the critical points and those with high potential for promotional textiles?

"There are two aspects to monitor constantly. The first is prices: especially at the moment, some people find it difficult to invest in the product, neglecting the intrinsic value of our processes and more. On the other hand, there is the high potential opportunity offered by the fashion of our items, always highly appreciated for their attention to detail and their always trendy style.