Here is Milano Home's interview with Ilenia Bernardi, owner of Mechilli Decor

What's the latest from Mechilli Decor?

Mechilli Decor was born out of passion and family tradition as a workshop focused on the world of furniture. Starting here and combining my passion for denim gave rise to Mechilli Decor Denim Home: a line of furniture and home accessories made entirely of reclaimed denim. The first fruits of merging these two deep interests of mine were pieces of solid wood furniture with denim features, alongside other home furnishings including armchairs, pouffes, and lamps. After gaining experience with the fabric and understanding its immense potential, we expanded our scope to include a variety of home furnishings, creating accessories for every space within the home. Among the latest additions to our range is the beach collection, which includes a variety of towels, bags with a maritime motif, decorative fish, and themed cushions, all hand sewn by our skilled artisans. Currently, we are developing our Christmas collection, which features a variety of Christmas tree designs crafted exclusively from denim. 

What are the strengths of the brand?

The essence of our brand, and indeed our greatest asset, lies in our commitment to crafting something innovative from a pre-existing raw material, breathing new life into it. In fact, the Mechilli Decor Denim Home collection is crafted entirely from denim 100% salvaged from textile production waste. This virgin fabric would otherwise have been discarded. We have therefore avoided making yet more new material needed for the production of our products. This ensures that every piece originating from this project is unique, due to its handcrafted character. Moreover, every item in the collection is made by our skilled local seamstresses and upholsterers, resulting in a product that is 100% Made in Italy. The artisanal production methods transcend the constraints of mass-produced design, offering a high degree of flexibility and personalisation, enhanced by the use of new technologies, such as lasers, printing techniques and unique washing processes – another significant asset of our brand. 

How significant is sustainability to your company, and in which collections do you use recycled materials?

Sustainability is a crucial aspect of our brand, and it is embodied in each product that emerges from our laboratories. We cherish the values of ecology and eco-sustainability, and we work every day to craft attractive designs that have the lowest possible impact on the environment. Denim is one of the most popular fabrics in the fashion industry, consuming approximately 35% of the global cotton output, but between water, land and electricity, the associated CO2 emissions are disproportionate and its environmental impact is very high. Then there is the use of dyes, pesticides and chemicals used in the dyeing, bleaching and finishing phases, as well as the release of microfibers into wastewater during the washing cycle. That is why we at Mechilli Decor have decided not to produce new raw materials, but to salvage existing and unused material instead. Additionally, the entire production chain is in-country, resulting in a product that is 100% Made in Italy – an aspect we value highly and which aligns with our sustainability objectives.