Gattinoni

In 1924 Fernanda Gattinoni had her first taste of fashion at the Molyneux atelier in London. In 1930 she returned to Italy and began her creative collaboration at the Ventura atelier in Milan, and was soon put in charge of the House's creative department along with Madame Anna.

In 1934 the Fashion House opened its Rome office entrusting Fernanda with directing the design department until 15 when the Fernanda Gattinoni atelier was inaugurated in Rome. Famous actresses visited the atelier in Via Marche including Ingrid Bergman, Anna Magnani, Lucia Bose and Audrey Hepburn, for whom Fernanda Gattinoni designed the costumes of "War and Peace". In the 50s and 60s when Rome was synonymous with cinema there were 25 full-time embroiderers for wedding dresses at the Gattinoni fashion house. Such dresses had long trains and were first made of heavy taffetas and marocain and later chiffon. The wedding dress of the Persian Shah's sister was among those made by the atelier's golden hands. In 1960 Fernanda Gattinoni created an Empire style collection which reconfirmed her name all over the world.

From the mid-80s the atelier's tradition is run by Raniero, Fernanda's son. Reinventing the Gattinoni style, Raniero was able to assert the label in many ready-to-wear lines as well as continue with success the high fashion tradition. Raniero has a London University degree in Arts and Philosophy. After a work experience at Mary Quant and Harrods, he began to work as a designer at the end of the 70s. He designed knitwear collections for some prestigious Italian companies. In 1985, the National Chamber of Fashion invited him to join the famous names which showed their collections in Piazza di Spagna. Only three years later, Raniero Gattinoni signed his first high fashion collection.

Today the Gattinoni label is on various female ready-to-wear lines present in many countries around the world. Some 2000 people are employed on the various lines and other activities tied to the industry by licence contracts. All the creations of the production lines are designed by Guglielmo Mariotto who heads the house's design department.

The collections are presented to Italian and foreign customers at the Gattinoni show-room in Milan; twice a year the Gattinoni lines are exhibited at the Hotel Place Athenee on occasion of the Paris Pret-a-Porter shows.

And now, after seventy years of fashion activity, Fernanda Gattinoni will hold an exhibition to celebrate her atelier's first 50 years.