Italian craftsmanship
BonTon was born behind a wooden counter, among button drawers and walls of yarn. Here, Italian craftsmanship is not a memory: it is a daily practice, which today starts in Mantua and reaches everywhere there is someone ready to take a thread in their hands.
01 — The threshold
The haberdashery belonged to the second species. For decades, its shop windows had accompanied the life of the city: the button to replace before a ceremony, the ribbon for a baptism, the right ball of yarn for a child's first sweater.
Behind the counter, drawers and shelves had kept colors that Mantua knew by heart. Every object had its place. Every customer, their story.
02 — The gesture
For twenty-four years, Francesca worked in a dental clinic. In 2020, she picked up a crochet hook, and she hasn’t put it down since.
She used to buy her yarn right here, at Bon Ton. Every time she went in, she felt a sense of wonder and peace. When Mrs. Giuliana started thinking about retirement, Francesca suggested, almost as a joke, that she take over the haberdashery.
In 2025, with some doubts and a lot of courage, she left her job and took up the mantle. Giuliana is still by her side, helping her keep the shop alive every day.
“I truly believe that it is dreams that give shape to the world.”
— Francesca
03 — The Color Archive
Today, the haberdashery is a place to explore: yarns to leaf through like pages, buttons, trimmings, ribbons and notions that are hard to find elsewhere.
Whoever enters finds what they were looking for. Often they also find what they didn't know they were looking for: a color, an idea, the next project.
04 — From Mantua to the World
BonTon was born here, between the counter and the workshop. Each garment is designed and handmade by Francesca, then translated into a clear pattern, carefully laid out and checked on the finished garment.
Thus, a project born in Mantua can take shape in Madrid, Paris, Berlin, or London, with the yarn and colors of those who choose it. The pattern is a starting point: the rest is up to your hands.
BonTon / Italian Craftsmanship
The desire to wear it.
The pleasure of creating it.
The haberdashery
Come visit us: for a spool of thread, a button, advice on your next project, or simply to browse our colors. The haberdashery is open to creators, learners, and anyone who is simply curious.