Prato - fabrics reborn

DAY 1

First Stop - The Cenciaiolo

The meeting point is set for 10:00 AM at Cenciaiolo Gori, allowing us plenty of time to visit the facilities and calmly photograph the different stages of the textile recycling supply chain.

The cenciaiolo is a historic figure in Prato’s textile tradition and is still a key part of the material recovery process today. This is where textiles destined for recycling are brought, then sorted and separated according to type and colourbefore moving on to the next stages of processing.

But how do you identify a fabric? A cenciaiolo develops an understanding of materials that first and foremost relies on the senses: they identify fibres by touch, examine their composition and may use small cuts or even the flame of a lighter to determine their characteristics.

Once classified, the materials are fed into machinery that breaks down the textile fibres, preparing them to be transformed into new raw material.

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Second stop - The Spinning Mill

After lunch, we will enter the spinning mill, where we will be able to observe up close one of the key stages of textile recycling and recycled yarn production.

Here, bales of cotton and other recovered materials are transformed into new yarn through carding, a traditional textile process that is now carried out using highly precise, automated machinery.

During the process, the fibres are aligned and prepared to create the new yarn, which is then wound onto cones and transferred to knitting mills. There, the recycled yarn becomes the raw material for producing new fabrics and garments.

This is also a particularly interesting stage from a photographic perspective: we will be able to capture the relationship between materials, technology, human gestures and machinery, documenting the transformation of textile waste into a new resource.

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Third stop - Group Review & Photo Selection for the Reportage

In the late afternoon, we will come together for a group review session. Each participant will select their own imagesand, with the support of Carlo and the group, work on building a sequence with an internal logic, a recognisable point of view and a clear narrative direction.

This is the most formative moment of the journey: we will learn that the most beautiful photograph is not always the one that is most necessary, and that the strength of a reportage often lies in the coherence of the whole, rather than in the perfection of a single shot.

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DAY 2

First stop - The knitting Mill

In an environment filled with machinery, yarn cones and garments in progress, we will be able to follow some of the stages that take recycled raw materials all the way to the finished garment, observing the work of the people and the techniques that make knitwear production possible.

Among the most fascinating processes we will encounter is rimaglio, a traditional craft technique used to assemble the different parts of a garment—such as the body, sleeves and cuffs—by joining them stitch by stitch. Unlike industrial processes, the pieces are connected using the same yarn, resulting in a precise, clean and almost invisible seam.

Rimaglio requires manual skill, precision and experience and cannot be replaced by machinery. The rimagliatrice, the skilled craftsperson who performs this work, therefore represents one of the most valuable artisanal skills in Prato’s textile tradition—a form of knowledge at risk of being lost, which we will have the opportunity to observe and photograph up close.

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Second stop - Rifò

Our final visit will take us into the creative heart of Rifò, where ideas for new garments take shape and materials, fabrics and production solutions are defined. In the research and development department, we will get a close look at the work that takes place before production begins: from garment design to the selection of the most suitable recycled fabrics and fibres.

Rifò obtained its B Corp certification in 2020, recognising the company’s commitment to a business model focused on sustainability and environmental and social responsibility.

We will have the opportunity to photograph technicians, designers and staff at work, completing our reportage on the circular fashion supply chain: from recovered raw materials to the design of a new garment. A way to tell the story of the people and skills that make this process possible, while following Rifò’s journey from its beginnings in 2017.

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Third stop - Editing and reportage creation

The photographic experience will not end with the final shot. Before we say goodbye, we will come together to work on image selection, editing and the creation of the final photographic reportage, always guided by Carlo.

Through our work with the photographer, we will learn how to identify the most meaningful shots, build a coherent sequence and give a narrative direction to the material captured throughout the day, turning the experience into our own personal photographic story about circular fashion and textile recycling.

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PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

This is a photography trip open to all photography enthusiasts who own a digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless) and have a basic understanding of how to use it.

Participants are required to bring a laptop to download the images taken during the day, as these will be reviewed and discussed with the photographer and instructor/guide during the editing sessions, including photo selection and digital post-production.