Viva Zanolli! The charming, artistic design work of the
Zanolli family, who emigrated from Veneto to Switzerland
in 1905, finds its expression in products such as
stenciled silks, colorful beadwork or ornate leather and
wooden objects. Driven by the desire for creative self-realization
and led by women, the company transformed
itself from a simple dressmaker to an arts and crafts
studio with a broad range of products. While oriented
towards trends in avant-garde art, it also catered to
contemporary tastes through large-scale commissions
for prominent Zurich department stores.
The history of the atelier is also an intimate story of the
urban textile industry and of creatively ambitious
women at the beginning of the twentieth century. The
ideal of collaborative work, handmade one-of-kind
products, and the struggle to establish a name in artistically
and historically turbulent times are all themes
that resonate powerfully today.
This book is also available in German.