Our history
Our factory has its roots in the heart of the Valtellina area. An unusual factory, inspired by the ancient local textile culture, based on the processing of linen, hemp and wool.
Our Origins
Back in August 1895, in Sondrio, a small town in the heart of the Italian Alps, Emilio Spelty, his son and Giovanni Keller set up a new company. These are two Swiss families who immediately perceive the preciousness of our territory and set up a factory in the Alps for the production of cotton yarns. Thus was born Spelty, Keller & C.O.
The registered trademark
In 1897, Spelty, Keller & C.O. deposits the first trademark: a lithographed label, which depicts "A chamois facing right with an attitude of grace, adorned with mountain peaks", as described in the certificate of the ancient Kingdom of Italy.
Fossati Family
The Spelty and Keller families soon left Valtellina and ceded the factory to one of the most important families on the Italian textile scene: the Fossati. The Lords of Monza in turn understand the enormous opportunity offered by the Valtellina area. The command therefore passed into Italian hands in the figures of Alberto Fossati and his son Felice who, at the dawn of the 1900s, took the factory to a new industrial level.
Massaua Bleu 10 Sanfor
The success of the Fossati was not long in coming. After the recovery from the Great War, the factory specializes in the production of yarns for the famous “MASSAUA BLEU 10 SANFOR”, producing the uniform fabric par excellence. Once developed, it is patented and becomes the symbol of the factory and the standard to refer to for the creation of high quality workwear.
The great success
The visionary entrepreneurship of the Fossati led to a new economic rise at the end of the Second World War, when they expanded their production with the construction of the plant in Via Tonale. In 1951 the factory was so impressive that it employed half of the manufacturing workforce in the entire province.
The Manifattura dell’Adda
The 1960s mark a fundamental date. From a strategic point of view, the Fossati completed the manufacturing process with the construction of the "Manifattura dell’Adda" division. In the Berbenno in Valtellina plant, a few kilometers from Sondrio, clothing is made mostly for the world of work uniforms.
Tescon, Lanerossi and Cotoni di Sondrio
In 1975 Fossati was incorporated into the companies of the Italian state. In this period it passed from hand to hand becoming first Tescon, then part of Lanerossi (at the time of the Eni group) and later Cotoni di Sondrio. A deep wound in the Valtellina area and in people, who are swallowed up by complex and distant systems.
The Marzotto Group
The Marzotto Group, with a keen eye on the market and its peculiarities, senses a great opportunity in its competitor Lanerossi. With the acquisition of Lanerossi, which also includes "Cotoni di Sondrio", the Marzotto group expands its product offering.
Tessuti di Sondrio in the world
The Marzotto group rearranges various aspects of the factory, starting with our name which, at the end of the 1900s, becomes what the whole world knows today: "Tessuti di Sondrio". In order to become more competitive, it invests heavily in the weaving and finishing processes. It is a new dawn, which indelibly marks our international success, from the ateliers in Paris to the studios in New York and Tokyo.
Dalsasso Archive since 1831
With the arrival of the new millennium, our famous collections are further enriched with the introduction of the Dalsasso Archive, a precious wool collection of Trentino origin founded in 1831. It is not a simple collection of fabrics, but a style of life based on a deep knowledge of materials and a priceless tradition.
Beyond the fabric
Our mission consists in the design of excellent products, children of craftsmanship and territorial uniqueness. The design thinking behind a proposal is influenced by many aspects: art, technology, culture and, above all, people. We love to express pure creativity, capable of recognizing and interpreting society and the time in which it lives.
