Once Milano is an artisanal brand that designs and produces heritage quality, handmade Italian linens and textiles in the Veneto region, near Venice. The company was founded by long-time friends Valeria Piovesana Thompson (CEO) and Allegra Marchiorello (Creative Director) after they'd each had successful careers (in the law and property and business management, respectively) and raised families in Italy and the UK. Once Milano's first collection of Italian linen napkins, tablecloths, and a few other essentials in a range of stunning neutrals was released in 2012. Since then, the company has gradually expanded its collection to now include linen and handmade velvet blankets in a select range of seasonal hues; the sought-after Pochettes—elegantly simple Italian linen zip-closure pouches available in several different sizes; and, most recently, a loungewear collection with Toogood. The fantastically flattering linen dressing gowns are a standout piece in the collection.
The crux of Once Milano's mission—and what makes the brand so unique—is the quality of its handmade textiles. The Veneto region has a particularly rich tradition of creating artisanal fabrics and Once Milano's founders are "very committed to bringing manufacturing back to Italy and ensuring that our heritage and extraordinary craftsmanship doesn’t disappear.” The brand exclusively seeks out and nurtures artisans working in the traditional techniques; breathing life back into these endangered traditions. The design ethos of the company rests on this impeccable quality and keeping the aesthetic of the final pieces simple and largely unadorned to allow the craftsmanship and quality of the actual materials to shine through. Each piece of linen is hand-cut, sewn, and dyed—a process which, while laborious, allows the final pieces to hold their shape in a way that's impossible for machine-made fabrics.
Once Milano takes an age-old artisanal tradition and turns it into perfectly elegant, refined pieces that add a hint of understated luxury to any home setting. To further complement its range of luxury kitchen, table, bed, and bath textiles, Once Milano also offers customized embroidery and monogramming of its linens—a lovely personal touch on home fabrics that are made to stand the test of time.
