Italian Legendary Fabric Manufacturer: MAJOTECH
[Factory tour + interview]
From the streets of the world's capitals to the military barracks, on the flying yachts of the world's most prestigious races, and in ateliers of the biggest fashion houses of the world, you can find Majocchi. An innovator and the groundbreaker of the textile industry traces its roots to the 1940-s and has been a staple of performance and fashion clothing industries ever since.


Not many ingredient brands can balance such a distinctive heritage and innovative spirit, as well as having a dedicated community around it all.

Based in Northern Italy's Lombardy region, just a short car ride away from Lake Como, Majocchi's facilities continuously experiment and produce breathtaking textiles that find their way into the best apparel around the world.

We had a chance to visit their production line and design studio to get acquainted with what Majotech's world is today.
Italian Legendary Fabric Manufacturer: MAJOTECH [Factory tour + interview]
From the streets of the world's capitals to the military barracks, on the flying yachts of the world's most prestigious races, and in ateliers of the biggest fashion houses of the world, you can find Majocchi. An innovator and the groundbreaker of the textile industry traces its roots to the 1940-s and has been a staple of performance and fashion clothing industries ever since.
Not many ingredient brands can balance such a distinctive heritage and innovative spirit, as well as having a dedicated community around it all.

Based in Northern Italy's Lombardy region, just a short car ride away from Lake Como, Majocchi's facilities continuously experiment and produce breathtaking textiles that find their way into the best apparel around the world.

We had a chance to visit their production line and design studio to get acquainted with what Majotech's world is today.
Andrea Terracini [Majotech, president and CEO].
Federico Romeo [Majotech, art director].
Andrea Terracini [Majotech, president and CEO].
Federico Romeo [Majotech, art director].
[TH: A little brief for our readers: How can you describe Majotech at the moment? What is your main motto/concept? What are your advantages over other manufacturers of materials? What do you focus on the most?]

AT: MAJOTECH world is where performance meets design and innovation.

FR: Majocchi has been a very dynamic company since its foundation. A passion for innovation, a sense of style and design mixed with a strong connection with clothing evolution is what drives us. Atm Majocchi is following its DNA. Being innovative, creative, performing, and focused on being a creative hub for brands who want to be different. Our motto is where design meets performance in the sense that compared to other technical fabrics suppliers, we can offer the same performance with a more design-oriented product. Crucial for us now is to be able to bring innovation in a very sustainable way, this means drastically reducing the emission and water waste of the textile industry. We're about to launch WATER ZERO, a patented technology superlight fabric, entirely developed in-house, allowing it to be one of the cleanest fabrics on the market. Stay tuned for the next developments!
Advantages are to be able to have two main areas of the company, one involved in heavy technical materials for personal protection, industrial applications, medical and defense, this means that the r&d department is always working for new solutions and performances that we are able to translate into the "fashion" collection.

[Functional clothing has long been associated with the ability of fabrics to beat the elements – for example, water resistance. Lately, materials with an abnormal value of more than 60,000 mm of WR have been appearing. Do you think the world really needs those tough garments (professional use cases aside)?]

AT: I don't, performances are always related to the real use and need, and overperformances are not needed.

FR: Need is a very subjective point of view. We surely think that in 2022 a basic garment should offer at least one performance feature. On the other hand, the climate is changing, and extreme temperature changes in super fast timing are kind of normal, so a fully functional garment is much more appreciated than an old-school one. Breathability, and durability, for me, are more than necessary.
[We've already mentioned fur coats in our communication, as an example of using natural materials to create warm and inconvenient clothing. Jokes aside, merino wool has become a unique example of how difficult it is to replace a product in a particular niche with synthetics. Despite the development of insulation materials, the same wool & goose down are out of the competition when it comes to efficiency. In your opinion, will their gradual replacement by man-made materials be possible in the near future?]

AT: Technology is moving very fast and there are some potential man-made materials to replace them, like "Aerogel". However, conscious use of natural materials could be even more sustainable than man-made ones.

FR: Man and nature have to integrate better now than ever, something nice like cashmere, that already works well, is very hard to substitute with something new, but future and sustainability need a compromise, so we are open to change and accept a new standard in efficiency, performance and comfort. In the end, natural materials, if consciously produced, are more sustainable than man-made ones.
[Tell us a bit more about fabric dyeing methods such as ART RIPPER. Such materials look quite unusual in the collections of, for example, Griffin Studios. This is particularly interesting because of the backdrop of the WaterZero initiative, which reduces the use of water resources.]

AT: We are really focused on the environmental aspect and for years we have been working on an exclusive process to reduce water usage for coloring fabrics.

After 3 years of R&D and testing, we finally will shortly launch commercially Water – a process where we reduce water usage for the coloring process by 98%, energy consumption by 92%, and CO2 emission by 90%, we are very proud to make a tangible contribution to better "use" of our planet's resources.

FR: Ripper is a high-performance recycled ripstop, working very well with a huge number of finishes we can apply, from lamination to coating to print, it's probably the most versatile fabric we have. Water zero will be a revolution for specific product categories, like down or padded jackets, or packable items, due to its super lightweight and the process.
[You pay a lot of attention not only to the technical aspects of the materials but also to their appearance. This allows us to observe the huge number of gradients, camouflages, and patterns in your range. After all, your fabrics are well-known for military (ThruDark) or hunting apparel. Can you expand deep on the design process of a camo, for example?]

AT: We do investigate the environment in which the camo will be used and based on that we develop the best "camouflaging" pattern for that environment both in the visible and IRR area.

FR: Camo has to work in specific areas, climate, and environment. So the base study is the landscape, after that, a series of tests are made in order to reach the best camouflaging effect.
[The most unusual/favorite fabric in your range you've had to work on? Any new tech/fabrics you want to introduce to our audience?]

AT: I do believe that Water Zero really represents a starting point of a new era in fabric and fabrication, but let me say that as we do our job with full passion, and any fabric we bring to market is like our child and we love them all.

One specific area I really love is what we have been able to achieve on reflective fabrics.

FR: For me, it's TERRA.
[Majotech has made great strides in developing its own infrastructure during coronavirus – for example, a sitemap with the material wiki. Can this kind of virtualization of materials and technology give the industry the same way to get in touch with releases and manufacturers? What do you think of its digitalization?]

AT: Of course with digitalization we loose the touch of the fabric, but it is an incredible way to make the first selection without traveling thousands of kilometers! Soon we will have all our inventory digitized, to have all customers and fans be able to select and get their fabric easily.

I do believe it's a great achievement.
[Another important feature is the ability to bring the community together through exposure to potentially interesting tech. As it seems to us, that's the tone of voice for evolution in the nearer future – the intimization of contact with the customer. Perhaps this should also include online lectures or local events. What's Majocchi's take on this?]

AT: We will do our best and the way we want to contribute is with an open channel, where our friends can perfectly understand the ways we do things with full transparency, an issue that is too often forgotten by our world.

FR: We believe that community is what keeps a brand alive, there are not so many ingredient brands able to have one, we try our best with clients and partners first to inform them and subsequently the final user.
[Perhaps the other important part of customer engagement can be direct action. For example, recycle or upcycle – Majocchi got one of the kind called ReCall. Usually, the description of such a process is limited to "well, we bring your stuff in, turn it into PET, and then make new apparel out of those". What is ReCall in a broader sense?]

AT: ReCall is a new way of thinking of how the circular economy should become the new normal and not an exception, only in this way we can contribute to a better future. ReCall is a new mission, where, in the near future, we do want to recall and re-use all of our production.

FR: ReCall is a fully circular structure. We want to have the final user involved in the recycling process, the garment, instead of being wasted, gets collected by us, and based on conditions, compositions can be upcycled or fully recycled.
[What are your thoughts on the future of the textile/fabrics industry? Any trends you can point on?]

AT: Do it better, last longer, perform for your real need, and have a lot of fun.

I strongly believe that quality will replace fast-fashion concepts.

FR: We hope that conscious products have to be the standard, thinking the process in a better way, bringing back fun and passion for the industry, to guarantee a better tomorrow.

We are not fans of trends. Sticking to our identity and being open to contamination is what we feel is the best way to grow and evolve without losing credibility.
During our tour, we also had a chance to talk deeply with Andrea Terracini
about the present and the future of a multibillion-dollar industry,
virtual versus real, Instagram and passion, Kanye, and sustainability:
During our tour, we also had a chance to talk deeply with Andrea Terracini about the present and the future of a multibillion-dollar industry, virtual versus real, Instagram and passion, Kanye, and sustainability:
AT: We are in this concept of combining performance and aesthetic, something that we believe you need to touch, feel, and learn. You need to learn about performance, and then you need to look at the aesthetic. I'm really scared about where the world is going today. Because the acceleration of this metaverse story has me scared. Let's say that in the future we are going to get locked down again and the only way to live your life in a lockdown situation is to have a lot more digital offerings. Everything in the next 5 years is going to be virtual. Next year at the Biennale de Venezia you will be able to visit it virtually, staying in Beijing for example. Next year. Three years from now you will have the avatar that you show to your friends via a device. And you'll need to dress up your avatar. You cannot show up in a pajama.

[TH: Yeah, but after covid, the outdoor market has exploded.]

For us as well. People reacted. And this is a huge contrast. People are willing to stay outside. The market investments are only focusing on "you will stay inside". But the amount of money that they are addressing to this area is astonishing. Nike, Gucci, Prada, Biennale – everyone. Because the concept for the future is not to sell physical shoes. How do you make my money? You need to sell virtual shoes.
If you will stand in front of your friend, on a computer, you would like to be dressed a certain way. But you will dress your avatar and it will do everything. And I'm scared of this future.

[You are reciting the Black Mirror episode.]

[laughs] Human beings, that's my first concern. I'm 58 now. I've built my character, my own life, on emotion. I started when I was 12. Ladies first, ladies second, cars and motorbikes after that. I mean, fashion, business, fabric, textiles, of course, but emotion is key – always.

I already see the new generation, does not have the same passion, does not have the same emotion.

And if we push a little bit more in the direction of "everything virtual", for sure it will be a fantastic experience. Today with technology we could meet here. I can duplicate the showroom and have a meeting here, showcasing our fabrics.

But the emotion of you looking at it for the first time in the real world will not be the same.
The way we see people investing is transforming this business. If I go out I can buy clothes, I can buy shoes, whatever. But how do you get money, if people stay at home all the time?

[We think it will develop in two ways. Because people love freedom. They love to go outside. Not only in front of the computer at home.]

That's if you have freedom. When you see that billions of US dollars are getting invested in this direction, it is a clear sign. Follow the money.

[We'd say with the right exposure we could facilitate growth even with virtual means. It is not the same, obviously, it is not going to be the same feeling as us having coffee together and talking about our passion. However, a lot of people would benefit from having this part of the world and industry be more developed and have a presence virtually.]

You are interested. You are in the right age group… I'm scared. Totally. I'm the one who needs to touch. What I'm considering though, is that there will be part of my generation that will go out, who will not accept.

But imagine the new generation, how they are prepared to accept things.
The way we see people investing is transforming this business. If I go out I can buy clothes, I can buy shoes, whatever. But how do you get money, if people stay at home all the time?

[We think it will develop in two ways. Because people love freedom. They love to go outside. Not only in front of the computer at home.]

That's if you have freedom. When you see that billions of US dollars are getting invested in this direction, it is a clear sign. Follow the money.
[We'd say with the right exposure we could facilitate growth even with virtual means. It is not the same, obviously, it is not going to be the same feeling as us having coffee together and talking about our passion. However, a lot of people would benefit from having this part of the world and industry be more developed and have a presence virtually.]

You are interested. You are in the right age group… I'm scared. Totally. I'm the one who needs to touch. What I'm considering though, is that there will be part of my generation that will go out, who will not accept.

But imagine the new generation, how they are prepared to accept things.
Even in terms of spending capability. Today there is a limitation that a certain small number of people can afford a certain amount of things. So from a theoretical democratical point of view, that could be an advantage, because now some can't travel, but in the next decade with a pair of glasses, they could go everywhere.

[And also they can buy stuff virtually that they would not be able to buy now. A lot of young people can not buy a car for example. Because it is expensive, you've got to park it somewhere and so on, you've got to pay for all of those things. But if you are really invested in a virtual world, you can buy a car there, or 10 cars.]

Scary, what you are telling me. Because you treat the matter like "I'm prepared to do it".

[Not sure if we are prepared to do it, but for entertainment purposes, we like VR. For example one of the benefits is that you don't have to buy a giant plasma. You can have a giant plasma inside of your set.]

This side is the one I totally agree with. The effect that you can have things more real in front of you without a big investment, without needing to travel the entire world, can be a benefit.
Even in terms of spending capability. Today there is a limitation that a certain small number of people can afford a certain amount of things. So from a theoretical democratical point of view, that could be an advantage, because now some can't travel, but in the next decade with a pair of glasses, they could go everywhere.

[And also they can buy stuff virtually that they would not be able to buy now. A lot of young people can not buy a car for example. Because it is expensive, you've got to park it somewhere and so on, you've got to pay for all of those things. But if you are really invested in a virtual world, you can buy a car there, or 10 cars.]

Scary, what you are telling me. Because you treat the matter like "I'm prepared to do it".
[Not sure if we are prepared to do it, but for entertainment purposes, we like VR. For example one of the benefits is that you don't have to buy a giant plasma. You can have a giant plasma inside of your set.]

This side is the one I totally agree with. The effect that you can have things more real in front of you without a big investment, without needing to travel the entire world, can be a benefit.
But the fact that business is there means they are going to push our life into being more digitally centered.

I've been here since 1984. And this is a family-owned company, since 1941.

When I started, in those days, you were always dealing with passion. If Armani was calling me, it was Giorgio Armani calling me, he was touching and feeling the fabric. Ralph Lauren was calling me, and only then his staff. It was direct interaction.

This industry has been totally changed, completely, since the finance world entered the garment and apparel business. Of course, it has grown up very much, but in a totally different way, becoming a business of numbers, rather than of real passion, real emotion.
Big finance sees the opportunity in the garment industry – it transforms the garment industry. Now they see the possibility in the metaverse or the unreal world.

In this respect, I do believe that we need to find a way to change the means of communicating. And if I tell you what is happening today in this industry – it is crazy. I was at a big corporation in London this week: the creative director does not speak with the merchandising director and uses the HR manager for meditation.

The issue is that we bring up those creative directors as stars. They lose the feeling of what their position is, what is their role, and what they do. So they feel more like a pop star, rather than a worker who has the role of creative director of a company.
Three days before the show, there was a huge meeting. They bought 6700 sample pieces. Just 80 went into production. "I'm a star, I do whatever, I don't even speak with merchandisers". But the merchandiser is the one who finds the product that sells. So what is the approach? "I'm not listening any longer to the market, what the market needs, whatever I decide is what the market should accept". But real life is not like this.

Unless you are Kanye West.

[Yeah, exactly.]

But even Kanye… We have been working with him for a while. One day he called me and said: "Andrea, I want to make clothes "from-seed-to-garment" out of Wyoming". I asked – "What do you mean from-seed-to-garment? There are certain limitations for that".

"No-no, I want real sheep, and I want to make real garments here". And then we bought 2500 sheep.

When you talk about Kanye, at least he has the power to move things forward. He makes a foam shoe, and six months later – the whole world does foam shoes.
But it is not that he says "I do metallic shoes, because I'm Kanye, and I can do that". He is logical. What you see in this industry in general today however is illogical.

I think it should never be just about the profit and margins. In the real world, we talk about watches. You can buy an Apple Watch, you don't really need an automatic watch. Apple Watch is the perfect watch, but watches will always be watches, and people will still get passionate about something that has no date display, has little water resistance, and so on.

I can tell you this in another way. Making business, having a factory like this, et cetera. I always had a feeling that you are doing it from a social point of view. You are contributing, you have your own community, that is your team. You are doing something social and also making a profit.

And it is what is in between that matters. Today we are losing the value of this "in-between'', and we are just looking at the final line and the result.

The industry has completely lost the feeling of its social value. Today everything is about finance. Value increasing value.
Majotech is a very rare breed of the manufacturer that strives to adapt and become something more in each iteration of oneself, not just reuse its most profitable asset.

Their incredible portfolio and meticulous approach to creation all lead to some of the most incredible works of "textile art".

We are big fans of fabrics and the myriad ways they can be adapted to suit one's needs, and seeing all this in person, done by passionate and knowledgeable people, does strike a chord in our hearts.

Rooted in history, seeing the future, and doing better today – that is Majotech.

Stay tuned for more articles from our European tour soon.
Produced by TECHUNTER Media.

Questions: Nikita Osaulenko [TECHUNTER, author].
Answers: Andrea Terracini [Majotech, president and CEO], Federico Romeo [Majotech, art director].

Conversation: Andrea Terracini [Majotech, president and CEO], Alex Zabelin [TECHUNTER, chief editor and CEO], Ivan Dzhatiev [TECHUNTER, creative director].

Decryption: Artemii Kozak.
Edit: Ivan Dzhatiev [THM].
Layout: Alex Zabelin [THM].
Images: Ivan Dzhatiev, Alex Zabelin [THM].
Special thanks to FUJIFILM for the gear support during our trip.