The Secret Behind Dior and Dolce & Gabbana’s Velvet
insidE TESSITURA LUIGI BEVILACQUA:
An exclusive interview with Giulia Bevilacqua for Dolce Vita Ladies Club
insidE TESSITURA
LUIGI BEVILACQUA:
The Secret Behind Dior and Dolce & Gabbana’s Velvet
the last atelier in Venice still weaving velvet entirely by hand on 18th-century looms. the last atelier in Venice still weaving velvet entirely by hand on 18th-century looms. Bevilacqua is creating fabrics chosen by the most iconic fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, adorning the White House, the Vatican, and the great palaces of the world, like Dresden Palace.
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"On the Grand Canal, behind a quiet façade bathed in Venetian light, lies one of the world’s most extraordinary places: Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua."
As we step inside, time seems to soften. Sunlight filters through historic windows, the steady rhythm of looms fills the air, and silk threads shimmer like liquid gold. This is not merely a factory — it is a living archive of history, patience, and women’s artistry.
Today, we meet Giulia Bevilacqua, daughter of the family of one of the oldest textile legacies in the world.
"On the Grand Canal, behind a quiet façade bathed in Venetian light, lies one of the world’s most extraordinary places: Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua,"
A Legacy That Began in 1499
“It's a long story,” Giulia smiles, as we begin our walk through the atelier.
The first trace of the Bevilacqua textile legacy appears in Venetian history in 1499, in a painting by Giovanni Mansueti, commissioned by the weaver Giacomo Bevilacqua. But the company as we know it today was formally founded centuries later, in 1875, by Giulia’s great-great-grandfather, Luigi Bevilacqua.
“When Napoleon left Venice,” Giulia explains, “each family was allowed to own only three looms. My great-grandfather decided to buy all the looms of the Serenissima School of Weaving and establish the company.”
Those very looms — 18th-century Jacquard looms, preserved and still functioning — are the ones producing Bevilacqua velvets today, using the same techniques as centuries ago.
“We are in the middle of Venice, just on the Grand Canal,” she says. “That alone makes this place incredibly unique.”
A Legacy That Began in 1499
“It's a long story,” Giulia smiles, as we begin our walk through the atelier.
The first trace of the Bevilacqua textile legacy appears in Venetian history in 1499, in a painting by Giovanni Mansueti, commissioned by the weaver Giacomo Bevilacqua. But the company as we know it today was formally founded centuries later, in 1875, by Giulia’s great-great-grandfather, Luigi Bevilacqua.
“When Napoleon left Venice,” Giulia explains, “each family was allowed to own only three looms. My great-grandfather decided to buy all the looms of the Serenissima School of Weaving and establish the company.”
Those very looms — 18th-century Jacquard looms, preserved and still functioning — are the ones producing Bevilacqua velvets today, using the same techniques as centuries ago.
“We are in the middle of Venice, Juston Grand Canal,” she says. “That alone makes this place incredibly unique.”
On the photo: Giulia Bevilacqua
Growing Up Among
Ancient Looms
For Giulia, this world was not something she discovered later in life — it shaped her from childhood.
“I grew up here,” she says simply. “Between ancient looms. It feels very familiar to me.”
Yet it wasn’t until she began bringing friends, clients, and visitors into the factory that she fully grasped how rare her childhood environment truly was.
“Every time I see the look on their faces — the astonishment — I realize how lucky I am. For them, it’s like stepping into the past. I’m used to it, but they remind me every day how special and unique this place is.”
Growing Up Among Ancient Looms
For Giulia, this world was not something she discovered later in life — it shaped her from childhood.
“I grew up here,” she says simply. “Between ancient looms. It feels very familiar to me.”
Yet it wasn’t until she began bringing friends, clients, and visitors into the factory that she fully grasped how rare her childhood environment truly was.
“Every time I see the look on their faces — the astonishment — I realize how lucky I am. For them, it’s like stepping into the past. I’m used to it, but they remind me every day how special and unique this place is.”
The Looms: Where
Patience Becomes Art
We stop beside one of the looms, where a weaver works slowly, deliberately, her hands moving with almost meditative precision.
“To reach excellence,” Giulia explains, “seven years is the very minimum.”
And even that, she insists, is only the beginning.
“This is a never-ending process. The learning can only happen here, because we are the only ones still producing this way, with these techniques, on these looms. Everything happens inside these walls.”
Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation — sometimes from mother to daughter — and mastery is less about speed than about sensitivity.
“They need to develop a feeling,” Giulia says. “To understand when something isn’t working, when a thread is broken. Without passion and patience, you wouldn’t be able to produce even a centimeter.”
The Looms: Where
Patience Becomes Art
We stop beside one of the looms, where a weaver works slowly, deliberately, her hands moving with almost meditative precision.
“To reach excellence,” Giulia explains, “seven years is the very minimum.”
And even that, she insists, is only the beginning.
“This is a never-ending process. The learning can only happen here, because we are the only ones still producing this way, with these techniques, on these looms. Everything happens inside these walls.”
Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation — sometimes from mother to daughter — and mastery is less about speed than about sensitivity.
“They need to develop a feeling,” Giulia says. “To understand when something isn’t working, when a thread is broken. Without passion and patience, you wouldn’t be able to produce even a centimeter.”
30 to 40 Centimeters a Day
The reality of production is almost unimaginable in today’s fast-paced world.
“A weaver can produce 30 to 40 centimeters per day, if everything goes well,” Giulia explains. “And with these old machines, it doesn’t always go well.” At the end of the year, the total is often even less.
“This is craftsmanship,” she says firmly. “It’s not slow production — it’s the time required to create something like this.” For haute couture houses, patience is sometimes tested. But those who truly understand luxury, she notes, are willing to wait.
30 to 40 Centimeters a Day
The reality of production is almost unimaginable in today’s fast-paced world.
“A weaver can produce 30 to 40 centimeters per day, if everything goes well,” Giulia explains. “And with these old machines, it doesn’t always go well.” At the end of the year, the total is often even less.
“This is craftsmanship,” she says firmly. “It’s not slow production — it’s the time required to create something like this.” For haute couture houses, patience is sometimes tested. But those who truly understand luxury, she notes, are willing to wait.
A Machine Inspired by
Leonardo da Vinci
Among the most astonishing objects in the atelier is a machine dating back to the 17th century, inspired by a sketch from Leonardo da Vinci himself. “This is the most ancient piece we have,” Giulia explains. “We still use it to prepare the warp.”
Glass rings guide silk threads carefully, chosen specifically so as not to damage the delicate fibers. Every thread is counted, placed with absolute precision. “The number of threads makes the difference between one fabric and another,” she says. “Everything begins here.”
Nearby, punch cards — the ancestors of modern computing — translate hand-drawn designs into woven reality. Each punched card corresponds to half a millimeter of fabric, read by the Jacquard machine above the loom. “It works like a computer,” Giulia explains. “But entirely by hand.”
Women at the Heart
of the Atelier
Today, seven women keep all 18 looms alive.
Historically, girls began apprenticing as young as 12 or 13, training for nearly a decade before achieving mastery. The atelier is not only a monument to velvet — it is a testament to women’s endurance, skill, and artistry.
A Machine Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci
Among the most astonishing objects in the atelier is a machine dating back to the 17th century, inspired by a sketch from Leonardo da Vinci himself. “This is the most ancient piece we have,” Giulia explains. “We still use it to prepare the warp.”
Glass rings guide silk threads carefully, chosen specifically so as not to damage the delicate fibers. Every thread is counted, placed with absolute precision. “The number of threads makes the difference between one fabric and another,” she says. “Everything begins here.”
Nearby, punch cards — the ancestors of modern computing — translate hand-drawn designs into woven reality. Each punched card corresponds to half a millimeter of fabric, read by the Jacquard machine above the loom. “It works like a computer,” Giulia explains. “But entirely by hand.”
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A Universe of 3,600 Patterns
In the archives, shelves overflow with books, swatches, and punch cards — a visual history of centuries. “Our archive counts more than 3,600 patterns,” Giulia explains. “From Byzantine and classical designs to Art Deco and contemporary creations.”
Inspiration comes from everywhere: architecture, paintings, historical documents — and sometimes directly from clients. “We still develop new patterns,” she says. “Always respecting what is technically possible with these looms.” Each pattern is a story, translated patiently from sketch to millimeter paper, from punch card to velvet.
Women at the Heart of the Atelier
Today, seven women keep all 18 looms alive.
Historically, girls began apprenticing as young as 12 or 13, training for nearly a decade before achieving mastery. The atelier is not only a monument to velvet — it is a testament to women’s endurance, skill, and artistry.
Watching the weavers at work, it becomes clear: this is not repetition, but ritual.
From Palaces to Haute Couture
Bevilacqua velvets grace some of the most extraordinary places in the world: the Vatican, the White House, Dresden Palace, and countless historic interiors.
“It’s an honor,” Giulia says. “Working with these locations, with renowned interior designers.”
But fashion holds a special place in her heart. “I love working with haute couture.”
She shows us pieces created for Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, including a 2019 velvet woven with real gold threads, shimmering in the light. Another piece — oxidized gold velvet worn by Monica Bellucci — feels almost sacred.
“Many clients ask us to keep things private,” Giulia explains. “But some want to share the extra value of this kind of production.”
She recalls a custom commission for Dior, created under intense time pressure for an extravagant ball at Palazzo Labia.
“The weavers worked extra hours to finish in time,” she says. “It made us very proud.”
Watch the video about
work for Dior here.
Monica Belluci
A Universe of 3,600 Patterns
In the archives, shelves overflow with books, swatches, and punch cards — a visual history of centuries. “Our archive counts more than 3,600 patterns,” Giulia explains. “From Byzantine and classical designs to Art Deco and contemporary creations.”
Inspiration comes from everywhere: architecture, paintings, historical documents — and sometimes directly from clients. “We still develop new patterns,” she says. “Always respecting what is technically possible with these looms.” Each pattern is a story, translated patiently from sketch to millimeter paper, from punch card to velvet.
From Palaces to Haute Couture
Bevilacqua velvets grace some of the most extraordinary places in the world:
the Vatican, the White House, Dresden Palace, and countless historic interiors.
“It’s an honor,” Giulia says. “Working with these locations, with renowned interior designers.”
But fashion holds a special place in her heart.
“I love working with haute couture.”
She shows us pieces created for Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, including a 2019 velvet woven with real gold threads, shimmering in the light. Another piece — oxidized gold velvet worn by Monica Bellucci — feels almost sacred.
“Many clients ask us to keep things private,” Giulia explains. “But some want to share the extra value of this kind of production.”
She recalls a custom commission for Dior, created under intense time pressure for an extravagant ball at Palazzo Labia.
“The weavers worked extra hours to finish in time,” she says. “It made us very proud.”
Watch the video about work for Dior here.
Monica Belluci
True Luxury, Defined
As we walk once more among the looms, the philosophy behind Bevilacqua becomes unmistakable.
“In a world that rushes,” Giulia reflects, “keeping something like this alive feels almost revolutionary.”
Designers from the world’s greatest fashion houses visit the atelier in person — and despite having seen everything, they are still moved.
“They always say the same thing,” she smiles. “It’s incredible that this still exists.”
Patience. Dedication.
Quality over quantity.
As our conversation comes to a close, one thought lingers in the air: this atelier is not just preserving fabric, but a way of life.
Find Tessitura Bevilacqua Online: www.luigi-bevilacqua.com
True Luxury, Defined
