Francesco Maglia

Umbrella maker

©Giacomo Maria Perotti

©Experimento Design

Under my umbrella

Francesco offers a bespoke service
8 to 10 fabric triangles make up an umbrella
He sells his handcrafted umbrellas on Mr Porter

The Maglia family have been crafting umbrellas in the same way since 1854. Throughout the six generations there has always been a son named Francesco and Francesco Maglia follows the tradition step-by-step with pride, enthusiasm and the business instinct of millennials. Raised among umbrellas, he now runs the Milan workshop together with his mother with the support of a handful of skilled artisans. The umbrella maker is "an assembler" according to him as different pieces come together like a harmonic jigsaw where functionality meets craftsmanship. The workshop has an archive of thousands of patterns for the design of the fabrics the canopy is made of; each one is hand cut, inspected and then seamed with a special resistant thread.

Interview

©Giacomo Maria Perotti

©Giacomo Maria Perotti

What is the price range of your luxury umbrellas?: Besides our collection, we invite our customers to visit the workshop and select the materials. Our contribution is the expertise and the quality of what we employ, every step is carefully looked after. The entry price is from to 250 euros up to the amount the customer is willing to spend.
What materials do you use?: For the shafts we use natural wood only such as chestnut, hazelnut ash and bamboo, all sourced from trees that have been uprooted. The bending, grinding and waxing are done by hand. Besides wood for the handles, we also use antlers and leather.
Why is the relationship with your suppliers so precious?: We have been working with local suppliers for several years now and we only select those committed to excellence; throughout the years we have built a strong relationship aimed at quality and with an eye to sustainability.
Is there a secret to making an umbrella?: Except for the metal parts, all the other elements are designed by us. Fabrics for the canopies are made in Como with machinery traditionally used for ties, finished and coated to be waterproof. Brass tips have a lower environmental impact and last forever.

Francesco Maglia is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2011 and he started teaching in 2019