Art of Visible Mending & Embroidery with Paola
Learn to see imperfection differently with Paola, a pioneer of visible mending in Turin, Italy. Through sashiko, patching, creative stitching, and embroidery, learn to transform a worn garment into something more personal and beautiful, and discover a new way to care for the things you own. Outside the studio, find inspiration in a city known for design, fashion, craft, and legendary chocolate and coffee traditions.
- Snacks, Coffee, & Tea, Breakfast
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $1700
- Additional guest(s) (max 4)
- USD $960
Accommodation
- One Guest
- USD $375
- Additional guest(s)
- USD $250
Meet the Artist
Paola is a Turin-based textile artist and the pioneer of visible mending in Italy, the first to introduce it as a professional practice there. The daughter of an atelier seamstress, she spent years as a fashion buyer before leaving the industry to pursue a craft rooted in her deepest values: that clothing has a story worth preserving, imperfection is something to celebrate, and mending is as much a creative act as making something new.
Her mastery has led her to restore vintage American coats from the Mazzini Research Archive, lead a runway show dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent featuring the Maison’s garments from a private collection, and present her mended work at Palazzo Chiablese.
She works with natural fabrics including linen, hemp, and old wool, using techniques like sashiko, patch mending, duplicate stitch, and weaving stitch. Inspired by Japanese boro, Indian textiles, African geometry, and abstract art, she transforms holes, tears, and worn patches into deliberate, colorful, textural details. Her work is made of imagination, slowness, color, aesthetics, craftsmanship, and heart.
Every repair is a design decision. Paola begins by helping people decide what to keep, what to give away, and what to repair. In her studio, you will learn to mend your own garments, leaving with a piece that is more beautiful and more yours than before, and a new sense of what it means to care for the things you own.
Her mastery has led her to restore vintage American coats from the Mazzini Research Archive, lead a runway show dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent featuring the Maison’s garments from a private collection, and present her mended work at Palazzo Chiablese.
She works with natural fabrics including linen, hemp, and old wool, using techniques like sashiko, patch mending, duplicate stitch, and weaving stitch. Inspired by Japanese boro, Indian textiles, African geometry, and abstract art, she transforms holes, tears, and worn patches into deliberate, colorful, textural details. Her work is made of imagination, slowness, color, aesthetics, craftsmanship, and heart.
Every repair is a design decision. Paola begins by helping people decide what to keep, what to give away, and what to repair. In her studio, you will learn to mend your own garments, leaving with a piece that is more beautiful and more yours than before, and a new sense of what it means to care for the things you own.
VAWAA Includes:
- Learn visible mending by hand, using darning, patching, creative stitching, and embroidery.
- Experiment on a personal knit or woven piece, discovering how each material responds differently.
- Explore how each repair can become a deliberate design choice, adding color, texture, and meaning through threads, fabrics, and stitches.
- Dive into geometric embroidery, using foundational stitches in a contemporary way to create shapes and compositions outside traditional patterns.
- Build your own textile notebook on canvas cloth, documenting stitches, materials, and techniques for future reference.
- Visit the concept store where Paola worked for a decade as a buyer, a space that shaped her sense of beauty and aesthetic research.
- Stop for coffee in one of Turin’s historic cafés and taste artisanal chocolate from one of Paola’s favorite local chocolatiers.
- If time permits, visit a modern art museum for inspiration or walk through the park along the river, one of Turin’s most peaceful and restorative routes.
- Join at any skill level, with all necessary materials included for the studio sessions and additional materials or tools available to purchase if you’d like to continue practicing at home.
Stay at Paola's
Stay in a bright, welcoming private attic room in Paola’s early 20th-century apartment, set in a quiet neighborhood along the Po River and well connected to Turin’s city center. There is an entrance staircase at the main building and an elevator to the apartment floor, followed by a spiral staircase inside the apartment that leads to the attic. Small, easy-to-carry luggage is recommended. If you are planning to bring large suitcases, just let us know in advance.
The room has a large single bed, with the option to add a second standard single bed, making it suitable for up to two guests, plus a private bathroom, and WiFi. Please note that the bathroom has a sloping ceiling and may not be comfortable for very tall guests. The attic has independent heating and air conditioning, making it comfortable year round. The apartment and studio are shoe-free, pet-free, and smoke-free, though smoking is allowed on the kitchen or studio balcony. Continental breakfast is included for guests staying with Paola.
The room has a large single bed, with the option to add a second standard single bed, making it suitable for up to two guests, plus a private bathroom, and WiFi. Please note that the bathroom has a sloping ceiling and may not be comfortable for very tall guests. The attic has independent heating and air conditioning, making it comfortable year round. The apartment and studio are shoe-free, pet-free, and smoke-free, though smoking is allowed on the kitchen or studio balcony. Continental breakfast is included for guests staying with Paola.
Explore Turin
Paola’s studio is in Turin, in northwest Italy, set at the foot of the Alps in Italy’s first capital. The city carries its history in grand boulevards, Baroque architecture, and world-class museums spanning ancient and modern art. It is also greener than many expect, with tree-lined avenues, riverside parks, and a hillside that rises beautifully above the rooftops.
Turin has long been a city of design and craft. It hosts Artissima, one of Europe’s most respected contemporary art fairs, the International Book Fair, and the ATP Finals. Its chocolate and coffee traditions are legendary, and its restaurants offer some of the finest food and wine in northern Italy, from casual trattorias to refined dining rooms.
For Paola, this city of beauty, quality, and aesthetic research is not just where she lives, it is what shaped her. The concept stores, the galleries, the artisan shops, the way Torinesi dress and take care of their things, all of it feeds directly into her practice.
The best way to arrive in the city center, she says, is on foot along the river. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
Turin has long been a city of design and craft. It hosts Artissima, one of Europe’s most respected contemporary art fairs, the International Book Fair, and the ATP Finals. Its chocolate and coffee traditions are legendary, and its restaurants offer some of the finest food and wine in northern Italy, from casual trattorias to refined dining rooms.
For Paola, this city of beauty, quality, and aesthetic research is not just where she lives, it is what shaped her. The concept stores, the galleries, the artisan shops, the way Torinesi dress and take care of their things, all of it feeds directly into her practice.
The best way to arrive in the city center, she says, is on foot along the river. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
Additional Details
The best time to visit Turin is from September to May, when the weather is mild and the city is at its most lively. Summer months are best avoided, as the heat can be intense.
Up to 4 guests can join the VAWAA, though Paola’s home accommodation is available for up to 2 guests.
This VAWAA can be extended for up to 7 days to allow more time to experiment with techniques, apply them to garments or home textiles such as cushions, tapestries, rugs, or upholstery, and go deeper into a specific theme or textile project. Please ask when you send your booking request.
Guests of all ages who are able to use needles and metal scissors are welcome to participate. Guests under 18 are welcome with a signed parental waiver. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access.
Paola speaks Italian, English, and some French.
Up to 4 guests can join the VAWAA, though Paola’s home accommodation is available for up to 2 guests.
This VAWAA can be extended for up to 7 days to allow more time to experiment with techniques, apply them to garments or home textiles such as cushions, tapestries, rugs, or upholstery, and go deeper into a specific theme or textile project. Please ask when you send your booking request.
Guests of all ages who are able to use needles and metal scissors are welcome to participate. Guests under 18 are welcome with a signed parental waiver. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access.
Paola speaks Italian, English, and some French.
Guest Reviews
Jane R., United States
I had a wonderful experience with Paola in Turino. Paola is a warm and passionate maker with an incredible eye for beauty! She prepared our work space with care and attention to detail and welcomed me into her lovely home with open generosity.
She personalized our experience based on interests, skill level and aesthetic, while helping me explore where I wanted to go creatively. She is a skille Read moreRebecca M., Australia
My friend and I had three days with Paola and it will remain one of our most precious memories of a trip full of many wonderful memories and experiences. We learned key skills and concepts, mended and saved old favorites, and developed an appreciation of the exciting potential of visible mending. We left Paula’s gorgeous apartment studio with a lot of enthusiasm and the tools and knowledge to deve Read more
Courtney M., United States
This was an amazing experience! I both enjoyed learning how to visibly mend and all my conversations with Paola. Highly recommend!
