Behind the Italy Collection: Textile Profile on Casentino Wool - Le Mondeur

Behind the Italy Collection: Textile Profile on Casentino Wool

Behind the Italy Collection: Textile Profile on Casentino Wool

For us, the journey of the Italy Collection began with a jacket. While spending several months in Italy in early 2018, our founder, Jess, stepped into a small shop in Florence, drawn in by the bright colors and fuzzy texture of the coats in the window. She left with a blood-orange wool jacket lined in satin green — and soon discovered that her new coat carried deep cultural roots. As she wore it around Italy, countless locals stopped to compliment her, often reminiscing about their mothers or grandmothers wearing the same wool. The fabric, known as Casentino wool, holds a special place in Tuscany’s heritage.

After months of admiring her coat, Jess began wondering: could this iconic wool become something new — shoes? The idea felt bold, maybe even strange, but irresistible. With the help of a textile expert in Florence, she traced the fabric’s origin to its source — the Casentino Valley, a lush, forested region about an hour and a half from Florence. There, nestled among castles and winding mountain roads, she met one of the few remaining artisan producers still crafting this historic fabric by hand.

Casentino wool, or Panno Casentino, has been made in the valley since the Middle Ages. Originally used for friars’ robes and animal blankets, it rose to fashion prominence in the 19th century as the material for Italy’s most beloved coats. Known for its distinctive curls, bold orange and green hues, and weather-resistant strength, the fabric remains a symbol of Italian craft and character.

Working alongside the artisans of the valley, Jess reimagined Casentino wool through the lens of modern footwear. The resulting Italy Collection blends centuries-old Tuscan craftsmanship with the spirit of contemporary design — translating the warmth, resilience, and vibrancy of this legendary textile into something entirely new: The World in Shoes.