Intrecci

Experimentation on fabrics

Sapiens Design Collection | 2019

The Intrecci project was born from a desire to celebrate two traditional Italian textiles: Calabria’s pezzara and Valtellina’s pezzotto. Woven on historic handlooms, these fabrics have long been used as blankets and rugs but here, we reimagine their purpose.

Intrecci acts as a bridge between distant regions and traditions, reviving age-old crafts from Italy’s north to south. Though each technique carries its own distinct character, both share a timeless philosophy: nothing goes to waste. Historically, pezzotti/pezzare were made from repurposed materials, discarded clothing and worn-out blankets, while today, they incorporate industrial fabric scraps. These are hand-cut and woven together with threads of mulberry or cotton (Calabrian tradition) or hemp and cotton (Valtellinese tradition).

Our intervention lies in redefining the textile’s potential by introducing unconventional elements into the weave: wooden slats and metal wires. This hybrid approach unlocks new functional and aesthetic possibilities for the material.

For the stacking tables, we leverage the rigidity provided by the wooden slats to create repositionable screens that add both function and visual rhythm. In the magazine holder, the fabric’s innate softness is celebrated through a supple pocket, while the traditional folded edges, typically used to finish the weave, are elongated to become functional fasteners for the structure. As for the tabletop organizer, the integration of metal wire into the textile allows a strip of fabric to be sculpted and hold its desired shape, merging flexibility with structure.