To best describe a company, you need to experience it from the inside, breathe its working atmosphere, and be a spokesperson for its values. That’s why I interviewed Livio Sassolini, director of Busatti srl, a company that boasts a tradition of 8 generations of weavers in Tuscany, Italy.
The interview with Livio Sassolini, director of the Busatti company
How many people work in Busatti and how is the production activity managed?
The Tessitura Busatti has about twenty employees. Over time we have developed highly skilled workers in every sector. And thanks also to the strong spirit of initiative of our collaborators, we have launched innovative processes which over time have allowed us to face the problems that have arisen in advance.
How strong is the value of tradition for Busatti?
Within the Busatti we consider tradition as “the liveliness of the past that animates the present“. We feel like a solid oak that has its roots in history but is projected towards the future. From our textile tradition we perpetuate the quality of our products, respect for the natural and social environment in which we operate, attention to people.
How does it feel when a Busatti fabric crosses national borders and arrives from the other side of the world to enrich a table or complete a room?
We are always very happy and proud of our productions, both of the classic and new lines. We export about 80% of our fabrics, but shipping our creations all over the world is always a great emotion.
8 generations that have followed one another since 1942, what is the secret of Busatti?
Since 1842 we have been weaving in the cellars of Palazzo Morgalanti in Anghiari, Tuscany. The property has always been in the hands of the Busatti family who over the centuries have managed the company even in difficult and uncertain times such as the Italian unification of 1860 and the two world wars. There have been very difficult moments, but we have always managed to get up and now we are living a good time in the name of harmony and renewal.
We have always managed to get up and now we are living a good time in the name of harmony and renewal
How do you choose the colors and patterns of the fabrics?
The Busatti designer is my brother Stefano. Passionate about colors and geometries since he was a child, he is divided between his commitment to the company and teaching at the IED (European Institute of Design). Since this January he has also been in charge of the new Research and Development department that we have created within the company.
What would you recommend to young people who would like to approach the world of craftsmanship?
We are a company but our heart and nature is always that of the craftsman: attention to raw materials, care of the creations as if they were children, heart before the wallet. Craftsmanship is a magical and beautiful world, but a young person who wishes to undertake this path today cannot help but confront a global market and new digital tools. It is unthinkable not to create a digital reputation and social media profiles that are recognizable and captivating. The quality of creation must always be high, but at the same time the same attention must be paid to communication.
“Unthinkable not to create a digital reputation”
What is your relationship with Tuscany and with the land that has made your history?
Anghiari is the city famous for the lost fresco by Leonardo da Vinci which portrays the Battle of the same name. In the plain of Anghiari on 29 June 1440 the troops of the Republic of Florence, headquartered in Anghiari, and those of the Duchy of Milan, faced each other. Florence triumphed and the Renaissance exploded in all its glory. It’s said that if the Lombard army had arrived in Florence the city would not have had the cultural ferment that made it famous throughout the world. Since then we have been Tuscan and we feel it in our skin. Tuscany permeates our way of living and thinking.
The Financial Times has dedicated a report to you: what is your relationship with the notoriety and with your VIP clients?
The Busatti company is a small reality, but our great attention and seriousness in the choice of raw materials and processing has allowed us to become a niche of excellence in textiles. We have the joy of being able to collaborate with famous chefs and personalities from fashion, art and movies. But we are what we were, hardworking artisans and proud to carry on a centuries-old tradition within a beautiful village, Anghiari.
Is there a recipe for keeping your desire to improve yourself long-lasting?
We honestly have fun. We like to meet people, develop new projects, get involved. I believe that alchemy is a bit of this, new ideas to be developed together with all our collaborators that are the true wealth and the secret of Tessitura Busatti. A team that is always at the forefront and full of stimuli and suggestions.
“Our collaborators are the real wealth and secret of Busatti”
What word comes to mind when saying Busatti?
Surely the first thing I think about if I say Busatti are the many people who over the centuries have collaborated with our family, making Tessitura Busatti something unique and unrepeatable.
