|
Manifattura del Casentino, a historic enterprise in the province of Arezzo founded in 1906, has announced its closure: the final thirteen employees were laid off on Friday, and the machinery was permanently shut down once the electricity was turned off. These aren't just any machines: the Manifattura's "ratinatrici" are the only ones capable of producing Casentino cloth, a coarse, curled, and extremely warm woolen fabric typical of the Arezzo region, which may now disappear. Audrey Hepburn made Casentino cloth renowned around the world when she wore it in her most famous film, Breakfast at Tiffany's. The orange, double-breasted coat with four buttons and a high collar worn by the protagonist, Holly Golightly, in the scene where she enters the Tiffany jewelry store, is a one-of-a-kind model created by designer Hubert de Givenchy specifically for the film. Given its brilliant color, this coat is not easily overlooked. The official name of this shade of orange is “becco d’oca” (“goose beak”), which, along with “verde bandiera” (“flag green”), is now considered a classic of Casentino wool garments. Unless a savior steps in, the fate of the Manifattura seems inevitable.
|