Giuseppe Canclini was born in 1900 in Colico, a village on Como Lake. He was young man with a lively mind from a modest family when he was sent to the seminary to complete his education, as was customary back at that time. Giuseppe soon stood out showing an innate creativity and resourcefulness: he was fond of music, he was able to play the accordion and the piano and was passionate about hunting and skeet shooting. He could also speak fluent English which for the time was a quite exceptional skill! He attended a course as a textile mechanic in Feltrinelli, but his most important experience was at the Omita company in Albate, leading company in northern Italy specialized in textile mechanical engineering.
There he learned to build the first shuttle looms. Aware of his own technical abilities and thanks to his business-oriented spirit, he decided to set up his own business in 1925 at the age of twenty-five, founding Canclini company.
He started in a shed in Caccivio, rented by his father-in-law, where he assembled the looms to weave silk and where he was warping the yarns which he then home-delivered to the weavers in town. Once back in the factory, the greige were checked and sent to the best dyeing mills in Como to complete the process. At that time already about forty looms could be counted. The products were silk fabrics for making underwear for women; the beautiful sets were bought mainly by customers from Tuscany where Florence represented the most important market, with clients such as Macora and Schimtz & Lombard.
As man who lived on the cutting-edge, he soon understood how important the quality of the raw material was. His aim was to be able to control the entire textile chain and as such he trod several different paths both to South America and to southern Italy to find out how to grow mulberry trees and breed silkworms on his own. An ambitious project, that despite those trips did not accomplish, can certainly still be considered precursors of modern and globalized society and management.
The war period despite some difficulties was prolific for Canclini company that was able to convert its production to make parachutes. Parachutes had very peculiar and challenging technical requirements, nowadays managed thanks to the modern man-made fibers and technologies: Canclini company made it possible by weaving the fabric with an equal number of threads and picks giving the fabric compactness to withstand the atmosphere without letting air through. This project contributed to Canclini success on the market even in such a critical period as the 1940s.
After the war, in the decade 1955-1965, Canclini’sons Vittorio and Giancarlo also joined the company. Vittorio took responsibility for the technical-creative unit, while Giancarlo took over the commercial and administrative office that was open in Como.
Silk scarves and historic jacquard dressing gowns, Canclini’s DNA, made Como famous all over the world. With pride and a pinch of nostalgia the satin stripe scarves that were sold very well throughout the Italian market: from various converters in Como, to the already established Florence, up to the emerging Neapolitan tailors. Among the most important brands we can remember Novelli.
The flagship item of those years, however, was the silk fabric for shirting that let the company take the first step towards abroad, exporting to Germany, France, and especially to Denmark. The close collaboration between Vittorio, Giancarlo and the Danish commercial agents was essential to establish a crucial working relationship.
At the beginning of the 1960s the new factory was built and gave birth to the first weaving mill that today is still operational as a warehouse.
The looms were no longer handled by external professional weavers, but the entire process was managed by the mill in Lurate Caccivio thanks to warping and weaving facilities with shuttle looms, jacquard and the first Saurer rapier weaving looms.
The commercial and administrative department was moved from Como to Lurate Caccivio around the Seventies joining the production plant.
It was around 1975 that the company decided to specialize in cotton shirt fabrics, rather than silk. It was instinct and desire to diversify to stand out in a thriving but crowded market, as Como silk market was. Looms were converted into looms for cotton, both shuttle and jacquard. At a point where almost all companies were procuring the same looms and competitiveness was already extremely challenging, creativity, entrepreneurial skill and passionate dedication could make the difference for such an organization and make it a leader among its competitors. The decision to switch to cotton fabrics proved to be a winning one: the company began to exhibit and participate in many business exhibitions such as “Interstof” in Frankfurt, “Premiere Vision” in Paris and “Moda In” in Milan. Among the most important customers to mention, Cassera and Cinquini, both from Bergamo.
The market was undoubtedly changing. Strategies had to keep up and been planned on different new levels: from a commercial perspective exports became crucial and export targets moved to many more other European countries; from a stylistic and creative point of view more related to the products and their presentation to the market, the message to convey to more educated customers looking for new ideas and inputs had to chance as well. Mauro Canclini, Vittorio’s son, joined the company eager to kick off a new narrative with the first collection presentation, as we know it today.
In fact, the beginning of the nineties witnessed the second generational change when Simone and Mauro joined the Canclini company. In these years Canclini company expanded its presence on international markets all over the world based on a strong international sales network. This brought the company to be seen as a reliable, credible and important partner to work with and rely on for high-end shirting fabrics.
Even today designers admired all over the world, prestigious clothing brands and historical tailors who perpetuate the refined art of bespoke men’s tailoring such as Alfred Dunhill, Aquascutum, Hugo Boss, Brioni, Christian Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna, Eton, Etro, Hackett, Isetan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Sand are among our most valuable and historic customers.
Export Sales to customers from over one hundred countries represent about three quarters of the total turnover about one fifth of which is dedicated to investments in new technologies and process to live up to new trends and products. Besides that extreme importance is given to the choice of raw materials, the best cottons and the finest yarn counts in the world.
The value for money recognized and appreciated by the most business players has been rewarding: in these years of important changes, in fact, Canclini has strengthened historical partnerships and, at the same time, acquired new customers looking for reliable partners.
Canclini’s innate passion for work, dynamism, creativity and continuous innovation have made it possible to realize the dream to be an anchor in quality, style, service, research and innovation in the production of Italian shirting fabrics. Canclini aims for the future to be even more open to the market and customer requests, placing itself as a guarantor of quality and style by combining research, cutting-edge technology and decades of experience.
