Fiorella Ciaboco was born in Sassoferrato, a small town of seven thousand inhabitants at the foot of Monte Strega, in the heart of the Marche region. Today, she runs a tailoring atelier in one of the liveliest areas of Milan, creating bespoke garments and teaching students who, full of admiration, watch her craft and travel from afar to learn the foundations of Made in Italy. At eight years old, little Fiorella began tearing her mother’s blankets to sew. At fourteen, she made her first garments for friends, studied patternmaking in Perugia, and at twenty-one opened her first business in Jesi. In the early 2000s, she moved to Milan, where she opened her atelier in 2010.

Her bond with the manufacturing district of the Marche region, however, has never been broken — the production hub and network of workshops she collaborates with are still based in Jesi. “At the beginning, I went door to door, relying on word of mouth. Milanese ladies would invite me over… ‘I’ll introduce you to my friends’ was the phrase that started it all,” says Ciaboco. “From there, the circle grew.”

Fiorella Ciaboco is a whirlwind of ideas: “A tailor is a bit of a crazy artist — they find inspiration in anything, otherwise they remain just an executor.” And so, among her haute couture and prêt-à-porter creations, you might find hand-painted hemp canvas coats or those inspired by Ottoman style. “Right now, I’m in love with Istanbul, but there was also my kimono phase… the girls who work with me in the atelier sometimes ask, ‘What’s gotten into Fiorella today?’ That’s who I am — I love my work, and I create garments that allow me to tell stories about the world.”

Her creations have reached as far as Australia, but her “tailoring education,” through the High Fashion Tailoring School she established in her Milan atelier, trains young enthusiasts in the art of tailor-made clothing. “I have a letter from an American professor thanking me for the passion I’ve passed on to his students. I keep all the messages from the young people who attend my workshops in my notebook — they’re my greatest source of satisfaction.”