Luisa Cevese

Luisa Cevese is an artist, weaver and textile designer based in Milan, where she lives and works.

Her animating principle is simple: “I love waste, working with waste”.

After classical studies, while attending university she started to work as an apprentice in Paola Besana weaving Studio in Milan. She also studied on and off-loom techniques, spinning and dying both in Italy and abroad.

She began creating textiles for fashion and interiors in 1984.

From 1988 to 1993 she had a major consultancy for Mantero Seta as head of their R&D department. Until 1995 she was also in charge of their special projects, such as internships and competitions with international arts and design schools.

As Head of Research at Centro Ricerche Mantero in Como she became deeply aware of the large quantity and consistency of waste produced by the industry and started to work with it.

In 1996 she started the Riedizioni project, where she re-appropriates post-production and post-consuming materials, combining them with pure polyurethane to create an original and innovative fabric, suitable to be cut into one-of-a-kind bags, accessories and home products sold under the brand name Luisa Cevese Riedizioni.

With her signature technique she also creates one-off and artistic pieces, such as rugs, wall-hangings and installations, the so-called Riedizioni Speciali.

Her work has been exhibited in several museums and galleries around the world.

She recently took part to “Scraps. Textiles, Fashion and Creative Reuse” produced by the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York; and to the exhibition “Sustainable Thinking” at Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence.

In 2019 Cevese was selected as Ambassador of Italian Design in Los Angeles and she presented her work at the Italian Cultural Institute in the solo exhibit “I love waste, working with waste. Luisa Cevese e il progetto Riedizioni”.

In 2023 her work has been selected among the 3 finalists of the Prize Maestri d'Eccellenza, launched by LVMH in collaboration with Fendi, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Confartigianato.

She has lectured in art and design schools and in conferences in Italy and abroad.

She is currently teaching Textile Design at NABA Academy in Milan.