Also for 2023 Tollegno 1900 takes part in the Contest launched by Feel The Yarn® which sees 95 designers of various nationalities and aged between 22 and 35 combined with as many partner spinning mills of the Consorzio Promozione Filati – CPF. Tollegno 1900 is represented by Silvia Felici, called to express the theme of the competition “People” – by creating garments made with the brand’s yarns.
The world of knitwear has multiple faces as you learned from your studies at the European Institute of Design. What are you particularly passionate about?
First of all creative freedom: the yarns allow you to express your ideas, sensitivities and intuitions using weights, textures and colours. Even the movements that thread will create during the construction of the garment contribute to generating particular suggestions. My passion is making swatches by hand, because they give me the opportunity to see how weaves and blends of various yarns and shades generate completely unexpected and new effects. The design phase of the garment is also extremely engaging: starting from a cloth, I can in fact imagine the finished product on the sketch.
Are there any yarns you prefer more than others?
Definitely natural fibres such as merino wool, an yarn of excellence both for its characteristics and for its inherent lower environmental impact.
Silvia, how did you get in touch with Tollegno 1900?
I already used the company’s yarns in my school’s Knit Lab, but I got to know Tollegno 1900 directly through the participation in the competition promoted annually by Feel The Yarn®. Having passed the first selection of the Contest, I learned with great enthusiasm the opportunity to collaborate with an internationally known brand.  Thanks to Nicoletta Meriglio, R&D Manager of the company, I received useful information to better approach the realization of the garments and I was also supported in the selection of yarns suitable for my project. Last but not least, I also had the opportunity to visit the headquarters and learn about its fascinating history.
Why did you decide to participate to the  Feel The Yarn® contest?
I must thank my teacher of Knitwear Design who suggested me to apply based on the skills demonstrated during the curricular course. Once I learned the theme of this year’s Contest “ Feel the people” and compared it with my thesis theme, I realized that I could create a single important project. about this precious opportunity, I immediately started to work for the delivery of the two looks to be realize.
What inspired you to develop the garments presented at the contest?
I started from the need to communicate, through the garments, the indissoluble bond that unites me to the city I was born, Rome. Its history, its shapes, its beauties, its streets and its parks, inspired me for the design of the five garments. Â Looking with interest at the ancient maps of the Eternal City, I created graphics that I will apply to the knitting to give an added value and originality to the finished garments. I hope to be able to convey this strong feeling that I carry inside me also in the eyes of those who will observe the garments.
What do you expect from the collaboration with Tollegno 1900?Â
Through this collaboration I hope to expand my knowledge in the world of knitwear and yarns and I also hope to improve my skills in the use of knitting machines. Through the use of the highest quality yarns, supplied to me by the company, I expect to create garments that are a winning combination of design and materials, with the aim of making an interesting design contribution for the Contest. Nineteen hundred times Thanks Tollegno!
What are your short-medium term plans?
In this period I very focused on the development of the thesis collection to obtain the degree in July. Once I finished my academic career, my dream would be to work for brand with a strong stylistic vocation for the world of knitwear, so as to be able to put my passion into practice and get involved in a constantly changing sector. I would also be interested in applying for a Master in knitwear, both in Italy and abroad, to deepen my knowledge in the field from a more technical point of view.
