salvaged cotton ribbing
linen duvet cover
vintage tapestry
vintage wool blanket
+ care & craft
= one of a kind bomber jacket
about cipolla
Wearables, bags, home goods & accessories. Unique and useful items that are handcrafted with a focus on quality and an emphasis on vintage and repurposed materials.
Because we can love new and old. Because we can be practical yet still sentimental. Because we don’t need more waste & we do need more craftsmanship. Because being thoughtful & responsible about making takes time & planning, and is absolutely worth it.
The results are special items you can treasure for yourself, or gift to someone equally special, confident in the quality & process behind them.
about the maker
From searching for materials to sewing, taking photos to packing up your order… every step is done by me (Marina!) here in my workshop in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. I have been sewing professionally for over 15 years in various capacities including larger scale manufacturing and training. I currently focus solely on Cipolla.
I’m Italian-Canadian, the granddaughter of a tailor, big sister to three brothers, care-taker of a demanding little dog, lover of textiles, old things & projects. My hands are (almost) always busy, and happily so. Life is great and challenging... when I sit at a sewing machine I breathe a sigh of relief.
My hands touch everything! One of the unique aspects of being a small artisan is being part of every step of the process. It starts with searching for materials: clothing, bedding, fabric remnants. Their condition (damage to remove?) and size (enough for a garment?) is a key factor in deciding how to use them.
Sometimes it is obvious what a certain find should become (this embroidery will be amazing sleeves!), while other times I work from the item up (what pieces can I group together to make a bag?).
One goal is to use as much repurposed material as I can and leave little waste. Extra linen from a robe can become lining in a bag, and really small bits can become make-up removal rounds.
Working with constraints could sound frustrating, but it’s great for creativity! Each item takes more time and planning, versus designing once and making many. But working this way is meaningful, for me as a labourer, and for you as a patron.
Most Cipolla items are one of a kind — I mean I literally can’t get the materials to make them again — others are made in small batches.
Where do I find materials? Where don’t I? I am always looking… second-hand stores, estate sales, vintage shops, auctions, markets, remnant sales, and even some precious hand-me-downs from my nonno’s collection.