The Angelico Mill

Angelico

Angelico was founded in the early 1950s by Giuseppe Angelico in Ronco Biellese, in Italy's Biella region, and is now run by his sons. The family-run mill weaves linen and wool fabrics, producing up to 20,000 metres a day for international brands.

Production starts with selecting wool and linen yarns. The wool is combed to give yarns of uniform length and texture, and both fibres are then spun, woven and finished. Heavier yarns are woven on traditional looms, while fine combed wool and linen yarns are woven on jet looms, which use air instead of a shuttle to place the delicate yarns. Finishing includes washing and other treatments that set the fabric's appearance and structure.

Angelico is best known for pure wool and pure linen fabrics, and also makes fabrics with cashmere and cotton. Its H Tech Class range adds stretch [state the fibre that provides it], and its washed fabrics suit more casual styles. Angelico fabrics are used in our suits and jackets, including the light blue Lazio suit in pure wool.

Weaving the Classic Way

It all starts with selecting the best linen and wool yarns—the foundation for Angelico's signature fabrics. Next, they move on to combing (also known as worsting) the wool fibres to create yarns of uniform length and texture. Both wool and fine European linen, like the exceptionally soft linen used for our blue shirt-jacket, are then spun through a series of devices to reinforce and elevate the quality of the fibres. The result is a high-quality yarn which will then be turned into fabric.

Weaving the Classic Way

At this point, thousands of strands of heavy yarn are mounted on traditional weaving looms, while fine combed wool & linen yarns are mounted on jet looms. This specialised machine uses air, rather than a shuttle, to set the delicate yarns in place—keeping their softness and texture intact. Meticulous attention must be paid during this stage of the weaving cycle, as even a minor oversight can lead to a major defect in the fabric.
Finally, the fabric is finished with a series of operations like washing and other treatments that gives it a visual and structural characteristic. It is at this stage that the fabric's soft hand and aesthetic elegance is finalised to the luxurious standards that have become synonymous with Angelico.

Angelico Today

While this revered Italian mill's most famed offerings are pure wool and pure linen fabrics, Angelico has broadened their creativity throughout the decades with fabrics made from the finest available Mongolian cashmere, Pure wool & Egyptian cotton—and in doing so, have become purveyors of a wide range of world-class cloths. Moreover, their new "H Tech Class" offers natural stretch with memory and wicking properties, while their new washed fabrics are geared towards more casual styles.

On the aesthetic front, Angelico creates beautifully draping fabrics, sophisticated patterns and designs and rich colours that are a fixture for not only Suitsupply jackets, but for just about every major name in fashion.