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Here are some images that I found of Rubelli’s beautiful Venice Showroom located on the Canal Grande. The palazzo has the company name printed on the awnings |
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The outlook from one of the balconies of the palazzo |
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| Donghia’s beautiful Island Sofa |
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On the walls is a display of their textile samples |
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Last year Armani/Casa and Rubelli joined in partnership for the creation, production and distribution of luxury textiles. You can see here the wonderful contrast between the contemporary style of Armani within the elaborate palazzo |
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The stunning palazzo ceiling made of carved and gilded wood |
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One of the many ancient doors in the palazzo |
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Some of the new Donghia lamps on display and the old Murano big chandelier |
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Sansovino fireplace with a sculpture of a Doge in office |
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This is the meeting room for important clients |
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Rubelli catalogues on a window in juxtaposition with the ancient walls of the courtyard Photography by Albarosa Simonetti |
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by both Nicolò Rubelli, the CEO of the Rubelli Group and Chuck Chewing the Creative Director of Donghia.
The Rubelli Family have been producing and selling luxury textiles for five generations now, creating some of the most beautiful damasks, velvets, silks, brocades and lampas.
In the spring of 2005, The Rubelli Group purchased the Donghia Brand and went on to include furniture, lighting and accessories to their company.
In his talk, Nicolò Rubelli gave a wonderful overview of the traditional techniques the company uses to produce their hand made fabrics and highly sophisticated textiles. He also outlined the remarkable history of the Venetian textile industry.
In the thirteenth century Venice became renowned throughout the world for it’s flourishing textile industry thanks to Marco Polo’s opening of the Silk Road between Venice and the east.
The city had an ability to acquire many exotic goods used for the fabrics. Gems, mineral dyes, peacock feathers and an abundance of textiles like silks, brocades and cottons from Egypt and Asia Minor. Pearls and porcelain from the Far East; Wool and woven cloth from England and the Flanders and minerals from Germany.
This oriental richness created a life of self-indulgence and luxury in Venice. Palace balconies were hung with rippling brocades, gondolas were draped and piled with cushions of silk, young lovers wore silk velvet caps and cloaks and carried a flower in one hand.
Sitting in this lecture envisaging daily life in Venice during the Renaissance I couldn’t help but lose myself in reverie as my singing Gondolier took me drifting under the Ponte del Sospiri of my mind.
Adventuring now to the 1960s in the United States. Chuck Chewing is lighting up Angelo Donghia’s stage. I am in awe of Donghia’s innovative design philosophy but I wont elaborate on this now - this is content for a whole other post!
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