A Thread That Began in the 1970s

I grew up in a textile family.

My father had worked in the industry since the 1970s: selecting yarns, knowing manufacturers, and recognizing quality by touch. I breathed this world from childhood—the fabrics hanging around, sample books spread across the table, technical conversations at dinner.

At the time, I could never have imagined that it would become the center of my professional life.

During the 1980s and 1990s, I traveled extensively: New York, Tokyo, and the capitals of international fashion.

I saw how luxury was communicated elsewhere, how brands built their identity through the product itself rather than through advertising campaigns.

I learned that what endures over time is always made well—with care and intention.

In the early 1990s, I arrived in India for the first time. It was an encounter that changed everything.

Not the postcard version of India, but the India of artisan workshops, fabric markets, and craftsmen who have worked on wooden looms for generations.

I met the producers from Kolkata with whom I still collaborate today: people who taught me how to select a fiber, how to read embroidery, and how to distinguish an authentic piece from an industrial one.

My base is in a small village near Como, known for its beautiful landscape. This is where I have my atelier, where I design the collection and work with colours and drawings. I create proposals that I then bring to India, where I have been working for years with a trusted supplier in Calcutta.

We have tailors, embroiderers and printers; together we create the prototypes and test the fit, colours and embroidery quality. Some fabrics come from the north of the country, some from the south — and the same goes for the embroidery. India is a bit like Italy: every region has its own typical production.

I visit the workshop approximately every two months to check both the production and the samples, but also to travel around the country in search of new ideas.

The garments are checked once in India and then shipped to Italy for a second quality control before being sent to the final customers.

FrancescaBi skirts have become truly iconic pieces, recognisable at first glance. The jackets are perfect for every season with their relaxed, slightly oversized and unstructured fit. And then there are blouses, coats and waistcoats — all united by a single thread: embroidery.

We use only natural fabrics such as wool, silk and cotton.

I am the first Italian designer to have introduced Jamdani fabric, a textile produced entirely by hand on pedal looms. It takes 2 days to weave enough fabric to make a single Fleur skirt. Pure wool Jamdani is an exclusive FrancescaBi creation.

We design for women who have developed their own style over time and who are not looking for the latest seasonal trend. Our typical customer is between fifty and sixty-five years old, has a clear sense of style, prefers to buy less but buy better, and wants to know where the clothes she wears come from.

She is not brand-dependent: she chooses a garment because she loves it, not because of the label. She appreciates artisanal quality, natural fabrics, and proportions that enhance the mature female body rather than hiding it. Our garments are not designed around tiny sizes: they are made for real women.

The word “ethnic” does not belong to us, and we do not like it.
Our garments are not decorative or folkloric: they are contemporary pieces with a modern structure, designed to be worn every day as well as on special occasions.

Jamdani weaving, hand embroidery, and fine materials are elements of quality, not exotic accessories.Furthermore, our founder, Francesca Bassi, has over thirty years of direct experience with India and its producers. This is not generic importing, but the result of deep expertise and long-standing human relationships.

Yes, we use exclusively natural materials.

For the summer season, we primarily work with cotton and silk; for winter, with wool and premium cottons. We do not use synthetic fibers.

Our choice of natural materials is not only aesthetic: natural fabrics breathe, drape differently, and age beautifully. They are also more sustainable than synthetic fabrics, both from an environmental perspective and in terms of comfort when worn.

Jamdani is one of the world's oldest weaving techniques, originating in Bangladesh and the Indian region of West Bengal. It is crafted by hand on a wooden loom: each decorative motif is woven thread by thread directly into the fabric during the weaving process, without any later embroidery applied on top. The result is a lightweight, almost transparent fabric in which the design appears to float on the surface.

The technique has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A Jamdani skirt requires approximately two full days of continuous work by a single skilled artisan.

FrancescaBi was the first Italian brand to introduce Jamdani into the premium women's fashion segment and the first to encourage artisans to experiment with weaving it in wool. The result is the beautiful Jamdani wool skirts in the winter collection.

As a general guide, our sizing corresponds to:

• Size 0 = S 
• Size 1 = S/M 
• Size 2 = L 

Our skirts and trousers feature an elasticated waistband. The measurements provided for these garments are taken with the waistband unstretched.

See size chart here

Sustainability is part of our DNA, not a marketing strategy.

We do not use plastic in our packaging: our bags are made from cotton reclaimed from production leftovers. The workshops we work with in India guarantee fair working conditions: adult workers, clean and well-ventilated environments, and fair wages. We produce in limited quantities to avoid waste. And this has been our approach since the very beginning, in 2019—not since sustainability became fashionable to talk about.

We stopped using plastic back in 2019. FrancescaBi garments are delivered in colourful printed cotton bags that can be reused for lingerie or travel.

Boxes in good condition are also given a second life.

Each garment comes with a hangtag describing its qualities and a small charm made from recycled cotton.

You can purchase directly from our online store at francescabi.it, available in both Italian and English.

Our garments are also available in selected boutiques in Italy and abroad.

If you would like to find the retailer nearest to you, please contact us at office@francescabi.it.

All shipments will be processed via GLS within 48 hours.Once the package has been sent, you will receive it in 24/36 hours in Italy.

For any information contact us at the following email office@francescabi.it

Natural fabrics require care.

In general, we recommend hand washing in cold water or using a delicate machine wash at 30°C with mild detergents.

Garments featuring hand embroidery should be turned inside out before washing to protect the embroidery.

Avoid tumble drying. Lay garments flat or hang them to dry away from direct sunlight.

For storage, use wide hangers rather than thin dry-cleaning hangers, and breathable cotton garment bags.

Each garment comes with care instructions specific to the fabric used.

Dry cleaning is always recommended for jackets, coats, and wool garments in general.