What does a day in your life look like?
My task as pattern-maker is to receive a photo or drawing — and sometimes specific measurements — and create a digital pattern that is consistent with the expectations of the brand. It has to be industrializable and reproducible, and I need to reach the final version with as few prototypes as possible. It requires sensitivity, culture and a knowledge of materials, workmanship and product.
My days are very intense and stimulating. Depending on the period, I go from coordinating a pattern-making room of 15 people at an important company, to the creation of patterns for emerging brands, to teaching university students at two Milanese design schools: Domus Academy and the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA). I decided to become a teacher to transfer my knowledge to the next generation.
How has Made in Italy changed since you started?
I started at the age of 17, when I took a men’s pattern-making course, and next year, I will celebrate 40 years. I’ve been lucky enough to work for many of the designers who were my idols when I was a student: Jean Paul Gaultier, Katharine Hamnett and Andrew Mackenzie, among others. The Made in Italy I experienced before globalization was not only made on Italian soil, but made from a series of skills, quality materials, excellent manufacturing even in small laboratories, and serious know-how from professionals with different sensitivities. Today, companies must be very competitive, so they have to be streamlined, cut unnecessary bureaucracy, and employ very knowledgeable and reliable people.
My profession is constantly evolving thanks to new technologies, new materials and new fibers that require special attention. The new generation of designers is also very different. But that’s my favorite part of the job: you can never take anything for granted. A pattern you make for one brand or one customer may not work for another. The fabrics and manufacturing both affect the final result, and then there is the expectation of the designer to consider, which is deeply personal and different from all the others. There are so many variables that each day is like the first one.
Daniele Zaramella
Head of research and development at Reda
Photo: Courtesy of Reda
How did you get into your profession?
I started at Reda in 1999, right after university, working on industrial and technical challenges. Then, I helped establish an in-house analytical laboratory and supported its evolution into a fully fledged research & development (R&D) department. Our work starts with a desire to understand wool more deeply and unlock the extraordinary qualities it naturally possesses, constantly exploring new ways to enhance its performance, functionality and applications. We have introduced digital printing, experimented with new surface treatments, and studied how an individual fiber responds to cold, heat, humidity, impact, and movement. Some paths have taken us exactly where we hoped to go. Others have led us somewhere unexpected. Every one of them has taught us something.
