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For the spring 2022 catalog we had a wonderful shooting trip in Puglia, which took us through the Salento area for several days, discovering the farms, colors and scents of an enchanted land. While I was designing the new products and touching the soft linen gauze and the warm colors of wheat, I was already imagining the new tables dressed in the shade of olive trees and my desire was to share the memory of a land that like few others can give you very strong feelings
A magic experience
This trip was one of the most beautiful chapters of the last year, a unique experience that once again confirmed the great passion with which we live our work. We chose to collaborate with professionals as passionate as we are, who never spared themselves, between long days of posing and a thousand laughs. We all felt part of a great team, with a great feeling of sharing and genuine pleasure for a job well done and exciting.
I, Giuliano, my closest collaborators and our daughters, have wonderful memories of these days, so tiring but so full of positive energy. Every evening I was looking forward to the new shots and I almost wished I could have extended that unique moment again and again. When we said goodbye, and let the photographers and my team leave, we knew that a new bond had been created that was even stronger and more sincere. I have as many memories of those few days as I could have of a month-long trip...I want to tell you all about it, and I hope to take you with me in my fondest memories
Why Salento
First of all, let me tell you that we chose Salento because we had the opportunity to visit it several times, falling in love with the colors and scents of this beautiful land, enclosed between the green of the olive groves and the blue of the sea. The enchantment of the farms offers such beautiful views that we were spoiled for choice, and the warm and genuine welcome of the people who hosted us with infinite generosity, made every day special.
We left Bologna with everything we needed to set up and photograph more than 30 photo shoots between tables, bedrooms and bathrooms. There were 5 of us, sorry....in 6! With us in fact, always present on the set, the mascot of Borgo Delle Tovaglie: Nando, our Jack Russell. We transported to the end of our peninsula over 2.5 tons of material and equipment. During the trip we skirted the Adriatic Sea and saw a thousand scenarios change. We stopped at a "trabucco" and promised ourselves we would return in the future to tell those who don't know about these incredible constructions rich in history, tradition and atmosphere. Once we arrived in Puglia after a journey of over 700 kilometers in two days, our first stop was in Galatone, in a small house with a great spirit, with details we couldn't help but fall in love with.
Villa Colitta Carrafa: between Moorish inspirations and exuberant nature
Villa Colitta Carrafa, this is the name of our set, has the typical style of the majestic villas of Moorish inspiration typical of the area, but in smaller size and is surrounded by a beautiful garden full of fruit trees. The colors of the walls are elegant and the original floors, made of old cement, have pastel colors that blend beautifully with the linen of the new collection. We have set our beds in the rooms caressed by natural light and set fresh tables in the large kitchen furnished with rustic furniture. The renovation done with wisdom, shows the love of the owners who have made it a cozy home and a place suitable for long stays.
We had a vegetable garden that we personally took care of during our stay and a chicken coop with chickens that gave us fresh eggs for breakfast every day!
In the garden there were ancient trees of an apricot typical of the area of Galatone ... and I can not tell you the sweetness of its fruits and the magic of being able to pick and eat them still warm from the sun. With the crew we had lunch under the pergola with the simplicity and taste typical of the food of the region. We lived each day starting with the wonderful gesture of filling the big mocha and preparing iced coffee with almond milk....At the end of the vacation we were so "addicted" that we left with a supply of almond syrup to continue to prepare it at home!
The light gauze sheets and striped tablecloths for spring 2022 seemed born to live in that house, the tables prepared in the garden under the shade of olive trees or in front of the porch seemed ready to welcome guests. Needless to say, Galatone and its surroundings are beautiful towns that are definitely worth a visit. A few kilometers away in fact lies Galatina, where we got lost with our noses in the air in adoration of the elegant buildings richly decorated in bright local stone. All around countryside of ancient olive groves and a stone's throw away a crystal clear sea.
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The enchantment of Masseria Sorani
Afterwards, the shooting moved to the masseria that we had visited a few years ago and that had enchanted us. Masseria Sorani is a classic and enchanting structure, beautifully restored by its owners who still live there and have turned an area into a bed & breakfast. Antonietta personally takes care of breakfast, delighting guests every day with freshly baked cakes served in a lush garden scented with jasmine in bloom.
Here, at the edge of the pool and in the light of the sunset, we set a romantic outdoor bath. Just a few elements were needed to create a simple and warm setting, with our sponges and brand new linen bathrobes, soft, fresh and fluttering, as protagonists. Our shy Alice improvised herself as a model, and Simone, our photographer, was able to capture her spontaneity. After all, when a subject is beautiful it doesn't have to be so difficult to bring out its qualities, right?
For some of the beds, the abandoned and mold-stained walls of a building found by chance welcomed us and wrapped the delicate colors of the sheets and gauze ruffles of the Gitane in a halo of light. The result of a cool alcove, restful from the summer heat, was really inviting and the linen expressed its potential at its best. We improvised tables set in olive groves on gold-colored grounds, and thanks to the videos we shot, this year we will be able to transport you to the chirping of crickets. It's hard to tell you how many tables I set, how many napkins I knotted, how many pillows I filled in those days.
My role as art director is never passive, I'm always the first to lend a hand and with my team we now move in a synchronicity that does not see wasted gestures: we think and act in unison, often improvising what we could not plan before. There was no shortage of amusing anecdotes: during filming, the drone we used for aerial shots got stuck at the top of a maritime pine tree at a height of over 30 meters. We thought we were doomed, we still had two days of filming left and we were afraid we would have to abandon the drone. What to do? The solution came from the tennis ball, faithful inseparable companion of our Jack Russell Nando. We tried several launches, first the video maker, then Giuliano, the girls. Shean timidly came forward, when we had lost hope. A couple of well-aimed launches and....the drone flew straight into his hands without any damage!
La Cutura private botanical garden: the hidden gem
The last leg of our journey took us to an authentic hidden jewel of Salento. The magnificence of La Cutura private botanical garden with its 35 hectares of varied crops, has the largest collection of succulent and tropical plants, some decades old and with enormous proportions. The ancient greenhouses and rock gardens built and cared for over a lifetime with incredible love by its creator, Salvatore Cezzi, have become the perfect setting for a bedroom that any of us would have dreamed of, but also tables where you could easily imagine a scene from the films of Ferzan Ozpetek, whose imagery guided me in the settings. In the shade of plants that look more like sculptures, the delicate colors of our linens or the brighter ones of the new prints came to life and the lights filtered through the huge windows gave us shots of pure enchantment. The fatigue was palpable, but each scenario offered us new vigor and enthusiasm, and from each shot, new ideas, new points of view, new details to capture.
The generosity and kindness of the people who welcomed us and accepted our cheerful confusion, will always remain in our hearts as one of the sweetest memories. But as you know I don't come back from my travels empty-handed and I brought with me almond pastries, an incredible variety of frise to give to all the friends and collaborators who unfortunately couldn't be with us and a beautiful succulent plant, a gift from Saia Cezzi, Salvatore's daughter, now spokesperson for the love that her father poured into his garden.
The plant has already grown a lot in these few months and every time I look at it I remember those places and our adventure with nostalgia. On the way back, we picked up some prickly pear blades that I planted at our place, who knows, maybe a piece of Salento won't bloom in spring in our garden!
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