Do you know what a gondolier wears? • Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana

Do you know what a gondolier wears?

Since 2018, a centuries-old tradition and a centuries-old fibre have been reinstated as the gondoliers of Venice have returned to their roots to wear wool.  The city’s 443 gondoliers now wear the iconic blue and white stripe uniform comprising a T-shirt, sweater and quilted vest made of Merino wool as they navigate their way through the Serenissima canals.

“We are proud that, after almost a century, the gondoliers have rediscovered wool for their uniforms," said Stuart McCullough, Managing Director of The Woolmark Company. "Their job requires high-level physical performance in extremely variable weather conditions. The return to Merino wool usage confirms the ability of this natural fibre to respond to their needs; this is why The Woolmark Company is pleased to honour and support the Association of Venetian Gondoliers.”

Venice’s world-famous gondoliers received The Eco-Stewardship Award at The Green Carpet Fashion Award Italia, 2019, for their sustainable choice of using  australian Merino wool, an 100% natural and biodegradable fiber, in their iconic striped uniform created by Emilio Ceccato in collaboration with The Woolmark Company.