Made In Italy

Contrary to what those bearded latter day do-it-yourselfers in Brooklyn might have you believe, the artisanal tradition wasn’t invented in Bushwick. The etymological root of the word artisan is Italian, and the history of skilled craftsmanship in Italy is as woven into the fabric of the country as elaborately painted frescoes, custom-cobbled shoes, and homespun gelato (by hand, naturally). In celebration of this devotion to doing things the right way, the folks at the Italian House of Fendi, renowned for their own impossibly exacting standards when it comes to handicraft, have compiled The Whispered Directory of Craftsmanship (Electa), a new volume which functions as a kind of A-to-Z of Italian artisanal culture, from amicis (bicycles) through zucchero (sugar). The book, which comes in both English and in the native tongue of the artigianos, is available now at Fendi boutiques and specialty bookshops worldwide.