Search for "Como ties" and you mostly find two things: weavers who sell fabric to the fashion houses, and big brands that use that fabric somewhere else. The workshops that still cut and sew ties on the lake are few, and almost no guide lists them. This page does: the district first, then the names, then how to read prices and constructions. Updated October 2026.
Como is a district, not a factory
The lake has woven silk since the late fifteenth century, under the Sforza duchy. Today the district produces roughly 70% of Europe's luxury silk fabric and supplies Hermès, Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton (source: Epicureo, October 2026). Older estimates count about 800 companies and 23,000 workers across weaving, printing, dyeing and making-up (Smithsonian, 2008: a dated figure, but the order of magnitude holds). The Setificio school, founded in 1868, still trains the designers.
What matters to a tie buyer: the district is made of two separate trades. Silk mills weave. Tie workshops cut, fold and sew. A "Como silk" label only tells you the first step happened here.
The weavers: who makes the cloth
These are the names that appear in every feature on Como, and for good reason: without them there would be no Italian silk tie. But they are not, as a rule, the people who will sell you one.
- Mantero (since 1902, historic seat in Como, archive in Grandate): jacquards and prints for Dior, Chanel and YSL; in 2002 it acquired the London tie house Holliday & Brown (source).
- Ratti (Guanzate): the lake's other large silk group, printing and weaving for the houses.
- The gauze looms for grenadine: a handful in the world, almost all in the Como area. It is the fabric that certifies origin more than any other.
The tie makers: who actually sews in Como
Here the list gets short. We only included firms with a verified address in the district (Como town and province) and a stated tie production. Prices and constructions as published on their own sites in October 2026.
| Tie maker | Where | What they do | Construction | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzi Como | Lake Como | Direct-to-customer brand: Como silk from a mill founded in 1895, bias cut, hand slip-stitch, hand-embroidered initials included | 3-fold, 7-fold, grenadine fina and grossa | €160–200 |
| A. Picci | Como, Via Vittorio Emanuele II | Historic shop with handmade silk ties, scarves and foulards (site) | Classic | about €80 |
| Fumagalli 1891 | Milanese origin, archive and production in Como | Archive prints and twills, ties cut and sewn by hand (history) | Classic, gauze | not published on that page |
| Mary Confezioni | Anzano del Parco (CO) | Contract tie workshop: the client brings the cloth, the workshop makes the tie (site) | 3-, 5- and 7-fold, by machine or by hand | trade only |
| Seterie Mosconi | Como | Custom and corporate ties to the client's design | On request | trade only |
| Camiceria di Como | Como | Bespoke shirtmaker with a line of "made in Como" ties | Classic | see site |
Know a workshop in the district we have missed? Write to us: the list is kept up to date.
Famous brands that are not from Como
The most common confusion. These names often use Como silk, but the tie is made somewhere else, and the elegance of the result has nothing to do with the district.
- E. Marinella, Calabrese 1924, Ulturale, Cappelli: the Neapolitan school. Naples is the capital of tie tailoring, not of silk.
- Bigi Cravatte: a Milan workshop since 1938.
- Drake's: sews in London, buys cloth in Como among other places.
- Atelier Particulier, Howards and other French labels: they name a "Lake Como workshop" as supplier, but they are Paris brands.
- Hermès, Gucci, Dior: buy cloth here, make up in their own supply chains.
None of these is "wrong". Simply, if you want a tie that starts and ends on the lake, you will not find it there.
How to choose among Como's tie makers
Three questions are enough.
- Who weaves the silk? A serious maker names the mill, or at least its founding year and the technique (high-density jacquard, gauze for grenadine). Silence is information.
- Who sews? By hand means a visible slip-stitch on the back and a bar tack. By machine means a straight, perfect seam. Neither is dishonest, but the price must reflect it.
- How many folds, and why? The 3-fold with interlining is the most versatile; the 7-fold drops the interlining and uses more silk. The difference is explained in 3, 5, 7 or 9-fold ties: what actually changes.
The five physical signs of a genuine piece (hand, bias, stitch, weave, transparency) are in the guide made in Como ties: how to recognise the real ones.
Where Lorenzi Como sits
We are a direct-to-customer brand: the silk comes from a Como mill founded in 1895, the tie is bias cut and hand sewn in our workshop on the lake, and every piece can carry up to three initials hand-embroidered on the back, at no extra cost. Three-fold at €160, seven-fold at €180, grenadine at €200. Express shipping within 7 working days, 30-day returns (not for ties with initials). The workshop is shown step by step.
Three constructions, one lake
- 3-fold jacquard silk ties — €160
- 7-fold ties — €180
- Grenadine ties — €200
FAQ
How many companies make ties in Como?
Estimates for the silk district run to hundreds of companies, but the vast majority weave, print or dye. Tie makers selling to the public from the district can be counted on one hand; many others work as contractors for brands that then never mention Como.
Is an Hermès or Drake's tie "from Como"?
Often the silk is, the tie is not. Hermès makes up in its own chain; Drake's sews in London. It is an excellent tie in Como cloth, not a Como tie.
Why do Como ties cost between €80 and €200?
The spread comes from three items: silk density, bias cutting (uses more cloth) and hours of hand sewing. A hand-sewn 7-fold uses almost twice the silk of a machine-made classic.
Can I visit a tie workshop on the lake?
Some historic shops in the centre of Como welcome visitors. Contract workshops in the province work by appointment. We show our own workshop on the manufacture page and ship from Como worldwide.
