The Umberto Rossi’s company, managed with his wife Wilma and his daughter Sabrina, makes the difference in knitted fabrics since 1980.
“Thanks to the technological updating of the machines and the levels achieved in the finishing of cloths”. Samples of four hundred articles per year.
«All weaving mills manufacture knitted fabrics, fleece and jersey cloths. What makes the difference are the machine programs and the following finishings: it is in this stage that a fabric becomes fashion». With Tessitura Rossi, Umberto Rossi and his wife Wilma, pattern maker, and thanks to the decisive contribution of their daughter Sabrina, the difference in fabrics begins in 1980, the year of foundation of the company. «But we are in the industry since before– he says – when we started with a knitwear factory coupled to a weaving mill: then we decided to continue with the production of fabrics only».
It’s just a word, the term “fabrics”. Designed by the style office, managed by Sabrina, the production ranges from fleece to jersey and includes interlock, jacquard, terry cloths, stretch fabrics and rubbed, flocked, laminated finishings. And the striped fabrics, a company peculiarity, result of the processing of electronic machines very rare in Italy. «Usually – resumes Rossi – our collections consist of about four hundred articles per year, in which it is expressed our research. In this sector the research is just that: to make a piece, then another one, maybe a little more dense or a little more soft, to try a jacquard, to replace a color, to experiment, to adapt a griffed article to another price range…».
This is a clear message, addressed to all those who, when the term “research” is matched to the word “sample”, turn up their noses, as if the figure of 92 million, the 9 percent of the entire turnover of the sector, invested every year in the textile district of Carpi, was not a very respectable investment in innovation and creativity.
To realize all this it’s sufficient to take a walk in the sample rooms where in big shelves you can see the production of about forty years, collected and organised year by year: a sort of rich and extensive library of samples which reflect the boundless work of ideas, fantasy, selection of materials, weaving techniques elaborated in the softwares and finishing methods which can be summed in the worf ‘research’.
This innovation vocation received, recently, an original and unusual recognition from the television exploitation of the Brand Unique collection which used knitted fabrics of the Rossi factory to “dress” the characters of the television series “I Medici” dedicated the famous Florentine family.
«You can not stand still for a moment in the design of softwares and finishings – reflects Umberto Rossi – and if I think of the very basic productions of the beginning, I must say that every year we have tried to increase the product range, arriving to fulfil both the quantities required by large chains and the small quantities commissioned by niche manufacturers». Anyway the driving force of the Rossi weaving mill is the design and style office. It’s there that the knitted fabric becomes fashionable, that the processing software for the machines and finishing ideas are suggested. It is the context in which Sabrina Rossi acts: “She is the mind – confirms Umberto Rossi – she’s very good at studying the new samples, inspired by customer feedbacks, by travels, by the great metropolis showcases. And from the street, because it is from there that trends come to life».
VOCE, 15 December 2016
