Handicrafts

Nido di Seta still upholds the ancient tradition of craftsmanship. The golden thread is worked on old looms with four heads on the rhythms dictated by the flow of the “shuttle”. All the products guarantee uniqueness and quality, respecting the concept of environmental sustainability. The colours of shawls, blankets, tablecloths and runners are made exclusively with natural products such as poppy flowers, mulberry, Tropea onion, genista flowers, walnut husk, etc. Among the creations is the kneeler cover for the Pope, currently located in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican, which was dyed with the root of madder, wedding and ceremonial dresses.

In order to expand the handicraft production due to the success of our products, Nido di Seta has created a real silk production chain in Calabria with a view to a new model of economic development that starts from the bottom. We have established cooperation with artisans from all over Calabria, they can carry on their ancient craftsmanship without leaving their workshops and create income at the same time. All this breathes life into an ethical circuit with respect of nature, work and tradition in a wonderful but complex region.

The textile industry is the second largest cause of global pollution and the dyeing process is one of the main culprits. For this reason Nido di Seta rejects the use of any type of synthetic substance for the dyeing processes exploiting the natural pigments that our land offers us. Synthetic colours were discovered in 1853, before that time exclusively the elements of mother nature were used. Thanks to continuous research and experimentation, the young cooperative has revived the ancient recipes and rediscovered hundreds of dyeing plants that grow on the Calabrian soil. In addition, there comes out an innovation of natural dyeing techniques such as eco-printing and the different types of reserve dyeing on yarn and fabric.

Our creations have gone beyond the concept of using silk exclusively in the textile sphere. The Nido di Seta Jewellery line combines elegance and the past, tradition and value, giving life to unique “treasures” of its kind. Everything is made rigorously by hand, from the breeding of silkworms to the reeling of the thread of light, from its twisting to its dyeing with natural products. Giovanna, a member of our Cooperative, a person dedicated to art, uses the techniques learned in her artistic career. She has created a union between the silk of San Floro and the ceramics of Squillace. With a view to enhancing the value of territorial resources, her jewels preserve our history, culture, colours and warmth of a complex borderland, becoming real “pieces of land”, pieces of Calabria. The ceramic medallions in our collection are meticulously created, engraved and decorated one by one. This ancient artisan technique proudly bears the D.O.C. trademark, especially for the so-called graffito work.