Multi-layered, delicate, intricate – the fabrics that reveal Venice’s long tradition of artisanship, as well as its hopes for the future

Something about Venice during Carnival is special, vibrant and eerily timeless. The swirling patterned skirts swishing over the bridges, the thin, misty light of the February lagoon. If you close your eyes, the clop of court shoes on cobblestone and music echoing from the piazze is enough to take you back in time.

Mesmerising as it is, Carnival has become one of Venice’s prime seasons for overtourism. The narrow streets grow so packed that it’s often impossible to walk through the city’s historic centre, while omnipresent street vendors and souvenir shops pedal cheap plastic versions of emblematic Carnival masks and Murano glass. But looking more closely, venturing down a quieter calle, another side of the city reveals itself. Populated by local artisans who spin a thread that stretches back through history and Carnival celebrations, too, Venice is deeply connected to its textiles.

Rich heritage

From silken brocades to handmade lace, a rich story of Venice can be told through its fabrics and the people who’ve crafted them through the ages. A Silk Road city, Venice has been a hub for textile production, fine materials and a prosperous luxury market since the 12th century. In this home to theatres and operas, along with the Carnival, elaborate costumes have long played a role in Venetian cultural life, while the illustrious interiors of noble palaces further demonstrate a clear love for textiles: from ceiling to floor, the walls of many rooms are swathed in fabric.