Ribbons, Stories, and New Possibilities: The Women from Macherio Visit Nastrificio Achille Valera Lissoni

Stepping into a place where ribbons come to life, moving through weaving machines and becoming part of a craft perfected over generations, was the experience shared by the women from the Macherio program during a study visit to one of Spazio 3R’s long-standing partners...

Discovering the world of work...

Over the past few months, the women participating in the Macherio workshop have completed the advanced tailoring course and begun a new phase focused on preparing for employment. These job readiness modules cover career guidance, the development of transferable skills, and recognizing and building on each participant’s strengths.

Throughout the program, they have explored a wide range of topics, including different types of employment contracts, social networking opportunities within the community, and art therapy workshops. This journey is part of the Insieme per ricucire legami di comunità ("Together, Stitching Community Back Together") project, developed in collaboration with the social cooperative La Grande Casa and supported by Fondazione Cariplo and the Fondazione della Comunità Monza Brianza.

As part of this project, the group had the opportunity to visit the Nastrificio Achille Valera Lissoni, a valued partner that has long donated high-quality surplus ribbons to our workshops.

"Knowing how central recycling is to your work, we're happy to entrust you with our discontinued collections," says Valentina Borroni, Sales Account Manager at the ribbon mill. "For us, it means giving new purpose to high-quality ribbons that would otherwise remain sitting in our warehouse."

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Inside the ribbon mill...

"Our story began in Concorezzo in 1927," Valentina continues. "For nearly a century, we've dedicated ourselves to doing one thing as well as we possibly can: weaving ribbons. When we talk about quality, we mean striving every single day for excellence and precision in every stage of production. To us, a ribbon isn't simply functional, it's an aesthetic detail that has the power to transform the character of a garment."

The visit offered a valuable opportunity to experience a local manufacturing company firsthand and to discover the journey behind the materials we use every day in our workshops.

Everyone was impressed by the care, organization, and craftsmanship that define the factory's work. For many of the women, it was fascinating to watch the machinery in action, observe the production process up close, and appreciate the attention devoted to every single detail.

"Opening our doors to the women from the Macherio program brought fresh energy and so much curiosity into our company," Valentina says. "It was wonderful answering their practical questions, explaining how the machinery works, and seeing how attentively they watched as the ribbons took shape on the looms. In our line of work, we often ship kilometers of ribbon without ever meeting the people who will eventually transform it. Having them here allowed us to look into the eyes of the hands that will give meaning to our product."

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Building connections through shared experiences...

This study visit was much more than an opportunity to learn about one of our partner companies. It was also a meaningful moment of exchange, inspiration, and connection.

"In your workshops, you welcome women who are searching for a new direction or a fresh start," Valentina concludes. "Rather than leaving them as individual threads, you teach them the beautiful craft of tailoring, weaving them into a strong community. You give them a place to belong, the tools they need, and the time to build new skills and create new professional paths."

Stepping outside the workshop and engaging with the realities of the working world gave the women in the Macherio program the chance to imagine new possibilities, grow in confidence, and feel part of something bigger, a network of people and organizations working together to create opportunities.

A heartfelt thank you to Nastrificio Achille Valera Lissoni for the warm welcome and for the generous support they have provided to Spazio 3R over the years.