IJO’ design means “sun” in Griko, a language halfway between Greek and Salentino that was spoken in the Apulian region as a legacy of ancient Magna Graecia. In the 2000s, Annalisa Surace studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and decided to dedicate herself to a project aimed at revitalizing the art of Salentino weaving.

“I didn’t want loom weaving to become a fossil like other forms of craftsmanship; I wanted wearing those garments to be beautiful.” This is how IJO’ design began—a workshop-atelier in the heart of Lecce that creates entirely loom-woven unique pieces, such as the cashmere cape, the most requested item.

From the careful selection of raw materials (including the fine wool from the Murgia region) to the choice of cotton heddles and only reed combs for the loom: “To work with such fine cashmere, it’s important not to break the fibers as happens with modern iron combs,” Surace explains.

It has been a challenging path for a venture that was awarded in 2024 as an example of excellence in craftsmanship by the European Textile Award. “Twenty-five years ago, talking about revival and tradition here was not well received. Even today, the majority of my clients are international.”

The Salentino bow is the signature technique on the loom, a method that requires multiple shuttles for warp and weft and was historically used for creating tapestries or home fabrics. Recently, thanks to the dedication and skill of IJO’ design in reviving an almost forgotten art, the technique has also been reinterpreted by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior.