Crafting Tomorrow

Crafting Tomorrow—a pop-up store dedicated to responsible fashion and the promotion of local craftsmanship—was held at the Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace. Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani, and Federico Poletti, Editorial Director of Next Gen Magazine, brought Maker Mile on board to jointly outline new models of conscious creativity, pairing the work of young designers with that of Maker Mile artisans.

To kick off the week, a talk dedicated to sustainable production brought together designers from the brands Cavia, Marcello Pipitone, and Pecoranera in dialogue with five artisans from the Maker Mile network: Marisa Convento, Marco Venier, Stefano Visentin, Stefano Morasso, and Sandra Mavaracchio. Through personal stories and live demonstrations, the discussion highlighted the value of traditional skills and techniques capable of interpreting the present and shaping the future.

Artisanal knowledge was brought to life through the “Venetian Beads” performance by Marisa Convento, which focused on the art of the impiraresse —a historically all-female craft tradition. Retracing the history and techniques of this traditional skill, the artisan demonstrated its continuous evolution through forms and colors shaped by the seasons and her personal artistic vision. 

The day concluded with “Crafting Design between Lace and Fashion”, a Fashion Lab curated by Ilaria Marcatelli, Creative Director of Maker Mile, bringing together lace makers Sandra Mavaracchio, her granddaughter Ludovica Zane and designer Martina Boero of Cavia.

With Crafting Tomorrow, Nani Mocenigo Palace became a space for exchange between art, design and contemporary craftsmanship, fostering new collaborations while celebrating Venice's cultural and productive heritage.