Leather threads and their unique structures
- Cecilia creates unique textures by knitting with leather
- She sources her leather from industrial surplus
- For her, the quality of a handmade product lies in its authenticity
Cecilia Rinaldi makes personal fashion accessories and home décor items in her studio in Bologna, Atelier Nuanda. Before she found her passion for leatherworking, she worked as a carpet textile designer and as a consultant for prominent architecture firms in Milan. "The need to express my creativity more freely and the desire to create with my own hands led me to leave my job and move to Bologna, where I studied traditional knitting techniques," Cecilia says. Her passion for the craft led her to experiment with an innovative leatherworking technique, making design pieces characterised by a textile structure created with knitting. Cecilia's works have been exhibited in major national exhibitions and trade fairs, and she was included by AD Italia among the 13 best emerging Italian designers of the year 2025.
Interview
- Why did you choose leatherworking?
- My family is the reason I can pursue a craft I love. My father taught me to appreciate manual work and to understand the deep satisfaction of creating unique, personal pieces. My choice to dedicate myself to knitting honours my mother's memory, as I aim to revive her refined elegance and expressive spirit through every creation.
- What specific techniques do you use?
- I reinterpret ancient techniques and decorative elements of traditional knitting. With leather, I update and transform them into contemporary design. I collaborate with a specialised artisan who transforms reclaimed leather into laces. Knitting with leather threads requires great care and manual precision, as the material resists every stitch.
- How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
- In my work I use techniques and materials rooted in tradition, but I apply them in an innovative way to create something original and unique. Thanks to different types of stitches, I can create completely diverse textures, which allows for a wide variety of results.
- What inspires your creations?
- My objects are closely connected to my passion for art in all its forms. I am very curious, which allows me to look at everything around me with a practical eye. I gather inspirations and reinterpret their aesthetics through my techniques.
Cecilia Rinaldi is a rising star: she began her career in 2022
Where
Cecilia Rinaldi
