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1889 Year of foundation

The Modesto Bertotto factory was born in Veglio Mosso (BI), in the locality of Romanina. Practice the complete cycle of production: buying wool, washing, combing and spinning. Also implementing the finishing and dyeing operations, the woolen mill is the first in the Biella area to implement an integrated process. From the very first years of the 1900s the company was verticalized , the architect from the wool to the creation of the fabric. At that time we are witnessing a socio-cultural change: thanks to the increase in employment and wages, a generalized improvement in living conditions is started, which involves the dimension of free time. People discover the approach to taking care of their image. The progenitor of the Bertottos has a brilliant intuition: fabrics must no longer be only functional but pleasant to the touch and sight. In practice: they must be linked to style.

The Twenties

While many wool mills use old hand looms, Bertotto matures an obsessive attention to the technological aspect. For this he goes to England to buy productive machinery. During the First World War the company works for the army: 70% of the production of Italian military uniforms is made in the Biella area. And the largest company in the Biella area pushes the accelerator on the need for innovation. The facts prove you right: despite the limitations of the time (there are still no faxes or some convenient means of communication and transport) in the 1920s it markets its fabrics in France and England. Not even the crisis of 1929 affected his business; indeed, he goes to the south to buy a sort of power station. It will transport it piece by piece to the north, so as to equip itself with generators capable of guaranteeing autonomous energy.

The Fifties

The spinning mill is moved to Gattinara (VC) , where an important production space is purposely built. The Fifties are times in which employees consider it an honor to be invited to the company on Sundays, to view the previews of the new finished collections, the colors in natural light, the most original armors in the tower. The Sixties marked the fabric boom; the company stands out for its very fine fabrics, whose collections are offered to the best Italian and English tailors, showing ever since then the vocation for export. Here the precious mohair is spun, which in the 1970s was chosen by famous tailors and stylists such as Armani as the base for tuxedos and evening dresses. Wool mixed with silk or linen is also spun, almost in secret, because these special components give specificity to the fabrics and the aim is to protect the patent from competition. The concept is to market fabrics that have a style, that create style for the wearer, that go beyond the concept of utility. Having invested in innovative spinning provides a great competitive advantage and makes the company extremely advanced. It is no coincidence that the fabric designers and product managers – who worked from the 1950s to the 1980s – founded their own companies over time, building on the know-how they had matured.

The seventies

Innovation is an intrinsic feature. Bertomodes opens the package, which soon becomes a leader in the production of outerwear for men and women and has the ambition to transform itself into a fashion house. In 1977 the large factory was built in Sandigliano (BI) , where the entire production flows; this time the location is no longer in the valley but near the communication routes, another sign of foresight and modernity. This building marks the unification of all the processing phases, from spinning to the finished fabric. In 1979 it also became the seat of the first Modesto Bertotto branded sales point; this is the first woolen mill that goes beyond the usual range of action, offering packaging and direct sales to the public, with specialized personnel who have developed experience in tailoring and packaging. Until the Eighties it was the most important company in the Biella area, also strong in being a reference for fashion houses and stylists.

The nineties

In 1996 the last generation Bertotto engaged in the company entered into an industrial partnership with the Enoch family, which, after two years of co-management, left the helm. The new property believes in the potential of retail development. 1998 is the year of the inauguration of a special 1,000 sq m exhibition space in Biella . It is not just a worthy scenography for the Modesto Bertotto collections but a tribute to the history of the company: on display with the garments there are warpers, looms and, for the first time to the public, the archives dating back to the distant 1889. The space is used as a large showroom for stylists and fashion companies, who can consult the historical collections and draw inspiration from them. In the following years, at the turn of the new century - the third for the company - stores were opened in Mendrisio (Switzerland), Milan, Rome and Turin.

Now

Today Modesto Bertotto is a much more complex and diversified reality that ranges from the production of fabric to the creation of collections of finished products and the development of single-brand sales points". We also collaborate closely with the Lanificio Zignone , which is our partner today. Over time the Our goal has always remained the same, to ensure quality and maintain a lasting relationship with our customers.