#Headquarters
AN HQ SERIES
PROTOTYPING DISTRICT
Asola (MN), Italy.
The path from the Design District to the Prototyping District is a short one.
Creatively, because every garment is conceived and developed in synergy.
Logistically, because each piece moves seamlessly from one set of hands to another.
And conceptually, because what drives both districts is always the same: the human engine.
Revealing a new side of the series dedicated to our headquarters.
This time, we take you inside a district where ideas take form through skilled hands and craftsmanship, a place where the human factor will always matter.
The Prototyping District is made up of workshops where designers’ ideas and sketches come to life for the very first time. The artisans working here are the first to see the finished piece and assess whether it’s a success, or whether the process needs to go further.
That assessment isn’t immediate. It involves many aspects of the garment: fit, wash, dyeing, stitching, defect checking, and more. And in our philosophy, the responsibility for all these activities lies with people.
Every time we see a new project come to life, we know it will be a work of precision that lasts several months. There are many steps to follow, but there’s no fixed formula. Every project has its own story, and it deserves to be treated as such.
Sometimes we need to spend more time on the pattern, other times on the fitting, and sometimes even on something as simple as the label placement.
But one thing is always the same: we carry out each of these tasks ourselves. Machines can be unpredictable. Here, we have full control over every single detail. That’s how we ensure we’re delivering the highest-quality result.
It’s a job that demands passion, precision, and patience, and gives back just as much satisfaction. A profession that feeds creativity and puts no limits on what’s possible.
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing a product finished for the first time. But sometimes that joy is met with the realization that more work is still needed.
That’s part of the process, especially when what powers the system is The Human Engine. And the artisans of the Prototyping District know it well.
“What I love most about this job is that it’s never the same. There’s always room for new ideas, and we’re encouraged to test out bold, unconventional solutions.
Like developing a completely new cut or inventing innovative seams.”
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