A social tailoring shop has opened in Lecco, in a building confiscated from the clans.

Specializing in upcycling discarded clothing and old fabrics, it employs unemployed youth, women in need, and migrants.

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In Costa Masnaga, a small town in the province of Lecco, a property seized from the criminal clans who invest and dominate here has found a new purpose, hosting the Aracne social tailoring shop , named after the young and skilled weaver of Greek mythology who was transformed into a spider by Athena, who forced her to weave for the rest of her days.

  • the creation of clothes and accessories through the recovery and reuse of discarded fabrics and garments (upcycling);
  • tailoring repairs and made-to-measure clothing;
  • training workshops and job placement courses;
  • services for companies, such as the creation of customized collections and sustainable textile gadgets.

"It all started when we responded to the Municipality's call for tenders for the property," explains the cooperative's president, Raffaele Pirovano, "by proposing the social tailoring project. "Recycling" is one of the key words, along with "transformation," which occurs, for example, when old jeans are transformed into a handbag. "Tailoring," he adds, "encompasses all the elements of the circular economy: recycling, reuse, and environmental protection." 

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Here you will find all of Aracne's proposals and collections.

Aracne currently uses several sales and promotion channels:

  • Direct sales at the branches of Costa Masnaga (Lecco) and the Lecco operational point, where it is possible to request information or purchase products by appointment. 
  • Events, fairs and demonstrations, as Fair Proposals e ExpoAid, during which he exhibits and sells his creations to an audience of private individuals and companies. 
  • Orders for companies, through the creation of customized products and dedicated supplies.

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Image source: PASO Social Cooperative/Facebook

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