Above: Factory in the beginning
Below: Factory today
What is the backstory of how Botto Giuseppe began ?
Giuseppe Botto Poala, founder of Lanificio Botto Giuseppe & Figli in 1876 was born in Valle Mosso-Biella in 1850.
His nickname was “Pin”, and in his honor his descendants have created a collection called “Pin 1876 by Botto Giuseppe”.
The company was born as a mill for production of woven fabrics… the whole territory of Biella is well known for the production of fabric because the area is an alpine province with an abundance of pure water… water that is the main “ingredient” in dyeing and finishing of fabrics and for the production of the electricity.
Today the company is a source of excellence in production of fabrics but also of yarns and jersey.
The collection of scarves was born 10 years ago developed entirely inside the company, starting from the study of the yarn in 100% cashmere to the final scarf.
What is the company mission and how has the company mission changed over time ?
The mission of Pin1876 by Botto Giuseppe is to create e a collection of cashmere scarves that are created using exclusive spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing processes. We represent what Made in Italy means and the finest expressions of Italian manufacturing in which the skilled hands of women and men make their own contributions to the long and complex process of creating uniquely appealing, high quality products which are checked and finished individually. All those processes are part of a company that has the goal of making the best quality with a special attention for the respect of the territory (peoples and environment).
How do you execute so many incredible colors and who are these generated by?
The company is involved in all the phases of the fashion business so we have the great opportunity to monitor the tendencies starting from the beginning (from the yarn to the final scarves). Additionally, the company has an incredible archive of “tendencies or trends." We are able to draw on products and colors made in almost a century and a half of business and experience.
Can you explain the process of making the scarves what makes the product unique ?
The scarves are closely studied starting from the raw material to the end product.
We select top quality fibers from the Inner Mongolia region (China) That is the place where the best cashmere goats lives (stay tuned - we are making a documentary on this).
We make a yarn specially used for making scarves with this precious and super selected raw material, then we make everything inside the company so we control the whole process of production. We dye the fiber. We spin the yarn. We make the jersey fabric. We do the finishing. We make it all at control every stage of production.
Most of the processes are executed by hand.
How has the current world crisis affected the company?
The company is actually in lockdown. The shops everywhere in the world in lockdown so we are hit by this crisis. But crises soon or later finish and we are confident that good products, made with passion and knowledge will be even more requested then before.
How do you see the crisis changing the shape of things to come in the fashion world ?
I think that this crisis will change the world of fashion and the focus will come back to the product and the people. In the last years we observed that the focus was moreso on the “side dish” (events, “packaging” …) then on the product. I think that the crisis will bring the focus back to real, concrete things.
