Handcraft for dreamers: what is it?

The idea of Wftb was born 10 years ago. At the time, 'handmade' was still mostly conceived as a serial production, which was certainly linked to the territory but, in my opinion, with a 'rustic' aesthetic. Obviously, artistic manufacture was, and is, something else; the unique piece created by the artist, the fruit of his thought, of his vision that he wants to communicate through art.

The 'dream' consists of a fascinating journey of recovery of the richest Italian handcraft, from South to North, to discover objects and materials in which Made in Italy still represents tradition, research, passion, the work of hands that know how to transform raw material into crafts of irresistible charm, according to ancient stories of rare beauty handed down through the centuries. With an eye on the ethics of production and global design culture, the Wftb catalogue is a contemporary notebook that applies this knowledge to new and unpredictable projects, thus creating an intersection between the mastery of traditional technique and the invention of a vocabulary of objects that is new and poetic, personal and specific.

Can you tell us how did you come up with the idea of Waiting for the Bus?

It is the idea of a tour to search for an answer to the risks of mass production, with the desire to protect production processes and local identities. Know-how is seen as a bridge between past and present.

Tradition becomes design and dictates the rules of a new aesthetic without time or boundaries.

The idea of Waiting for the bus takes shape in Jodhpur, the blue city of Rajasthan. It is the sharp image of women in colourful saris laughing merrily, precisely at bus stops, covering their faces in the dust amidst cows, men in turbans, 'chapati' stalls and with the intense smell of spices and flower crowns in the air. Starting from this suggestion, the bus continues its journey through Italy with stops in the places of 'craftsmanship' dotting the entire Peninsula, passing through Caltagirone, Vietri, Lissone, Andria. A journey searching for the finest handcraft in order to get to know it, understand it and develop new products and projects, but imbued with the inescapable culture of the territory.

WFTB does not have a production site, as it collaborates from time to time with artisans and small industries that are selected across Italy. Ceramics, linen, silks, haute couture, Wftb's itinerary of ancient knowledge.