Between art and craft, artisans combine form and function to create objects that give beauty a sense of purpose. 

“I’m Zazie Gnecchi Ruscone, a textile artisan creating hand-painted fabrics and interior decoration in Trastevere, Rome. As a creative autodidact, I started painting on fabrics at age 10, nurtured by early art lessons from my mother. I’ve turned this childhood passion for shape and color into my profession. After studying in Paris, I returned home to Rome at 21 to found Zazielab.”

In the atelier I share with my mother and aunt, I create pieces entirely by hand using textiles in natural fibers—linen, cotton, silk—adorned with signature motifs of angular shapes in a dazzling array of hues. I hand-mix each color from a primary palette to add a further unique touch to these one-of-a-kind pieces. Every aspect of the creative process and production is selected with care, striking the balance between aesthetic and material quality. Expanding beyond my core line of clothing and home textiles, I also accept commissions for special projects with a particular focus on interiors.”