The Italy-based wool mill Vitale Barberis Canonico has combined Italian craftsmanship with English tradition, achieving a global milestone. 

Vitale Barberis Canonico has obtained the exclusive worldwide license from the luxury fabric supplier company Harrisons to produce its signature Solaro fabric in Italy.

“The Solaro has always been a family passion for Vitale Barberis Canonico,” said marketing director Francesco Barberis Canonico. “And we are proud to have been chosen by Harrisons as the licensee of such a prestigious and unique brand, and to contribute to a new chapter in the history of a cloth that holds a distinctive place in the tradition of fine tailoring.”

This fabric was conceived in England in the early 20th century to protect British soldiers serving in tropical colonies. The physician Louis Westenra Sambon, a British doctor of Italian descent, developed a fabric woven with specific colors and fibers to reflect some of the sun’s radiation and reduce risks from prolonged exposure to intense sunlight. The cloth failed its purpose since it didn’t provide effective UV protection and soon lost its functional purpose. After World War II, Solaro moved beyond its military roots into the world of tailoring.

Solaro made in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico will be distributed by Italian luxury textile company Drapers to the tailors and leading menswear stores worldwide, starting this month. The fabric will be available in two versions: one with a fuller body which pays homage to the English tradition, and another lighter. 

“There is no one I can trust more than my old friend Francesco to make this famous cloth. Vitale Barberis Canonico have done an amazing job in bringing the Solaro made in Italy to its sartorial home,” stated managing director at Harrisons, Mark Dunsford.