The Marialida atelier creates fabrics, which are collectible and museum-quality works of art. Established in December 2003 in Pistoia in Tuscany, near Florence - amidst the culture appreciative of art and craftsmanship - Marialida Textiles has regenerated and promotes antique dyeing and printing techniques and methods of creating venerated silk velvet and cotton fabrics first recuperated by the illustrious Mariano Fortuny in Venice Italy.
In a tranquil place, just steps from Florence (a city full of art and history, custodian to an immense wealth of knowledge and endless source of inspiration) the Marialida workshop gets under way due to the precise will of an artist - craftsman - entrepreneur. For ten years Marialida's founder held the demanding and enviable position of technical and artistic director for the renown Fortuny Spa. in Venice - a textile manufacturer whose fabrics shook the cultural world at the turn of the century, and whose collected pieces are still present in the foremost museums in the worldwide. Fortuny Spa. was passed onto his family. Samir Fayez Riad, the artist of the family, was to be responsible for learning all of Fortuny's well-guarded secrets of production in order to maintain their production excellence during his tenure,. He was often referred to admiringly as "Mr. Fortuny".
After having inherited, researched and studied such noble textile printing and dyeing methods, which were based on ancient techniques, using natural materials - vegetable and mineral - he was inspired to contribute his artistic refinement and product expansion. In the Marialida textile atelier he fulfils his need for greater autonomy in researching and experimenting new techniques, materials and colors for the handcrafted production of prestigious fabrics begun ... years ago.
REFINEMENT OF TASTE, ART, CULTURE, and TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE is the basis for the creation of the Marialida textile collections. CONTROL of the entire creative and production processes to create the exceptional finished products requires the accurate selection and mixture of the raw materials in order to produce these textiles with their unique veiled and luminous colors, done exclusively using natural substances, using various historic designs and custom designs - all rigorously created by hand - and then finally, printed in multi-colors or precious metals controlling the actual precise printing and dyeing techniques. This is the secret of so much refined beauty.
The Marialida textile collections are revivals, interpretations, translations of designs from all eras and of all styles, which through the printing process and production, lives a new language and a new fascination for today's interiors with these highly emotional, decorative fabrics.
