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Stitch by stitch Francesco Maglia has been making umbrellas in Milan, Italy as long as he can remember. The business has been a family tradition since 1854 when the only way to assemble the parts was entirely done by hand. The same measure of care is taken on each finished umbrella today following the same seventy steps of production just like many years ago. Their pride is in real wooden shafts, materials cut and sewed by hand, and stretchers installed one by one for strong mechanics. He is thankful for a legacy built on relationships, “For over forty-eight years I have driven Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. They are all friends. In Vienna, Weimar, Dresden and Bremen I am a guest in their homes. I’ve even been a groomsman for some of their weddings.” With unique handles made of materials like horn, mother-of-pearl and silver, or leather shaped either turned or straight, their artistry can be enjoyed from generation to generation. Available in an array of wooden choices such as chestnut, maple, ash, hazelnut, manila, bamboo, malacca, olive tree, elm, or Scotch broom. Photography: Gianluca Giannone
