Makers of Venice

PROJECT: Makers of Venice

CLIENT: Monocle

COLLABORATORS: The Place of Wonders Foundation, The Hospitality Experience, Maker Mile and eight more local partners

YEAR: 2025

Venice is an iconic destination that suffers from overtourism and simultaneously serves as home and host to international artists, designers, creatives and cultural events. This project explored how craft could become a lens through which to discover the heritage, people and contemporary cultural life of the city, creating a more distinctive and enriching experience for the luxury traveller. Aetia took an intentionally local approach, spending time with craftspeople, creative entrepreneurs, hospitality partners, museums, brands and cultural organisations to understand the wider landscape their practices sit within.

During the 2025 Venice Carnival, we documented pockets of the city that were still quiet amid one of the city’s largest annual touristic peaks, where its artisans are at work – from brocade weavers working through their busiest season to the last generation of lacemakers attempting to pass their knowledge on. Eight local relationships opened up a wider network of people, places and perspectives, helping us build a nuanced picture of Venice’s contemporary craft ecosystem.

The resulting editorial portrait brought together research, writing, photography, film, audio and social content, with the people and practices themselves forming the itinerary rather than simply serving as background to travel coverage. Produced for Monocle and Breathe Magazine, the project reached a collective audience of more than 1 million and developed into a wider multi-partner social activation. Its success led to a series of travel coverage for Monocle across Tuscany, Naples, the UK, Spain and Marrakesh. The work reinforced a wider principle that Aetia has always stood by: a niche cultural lens can open up a place or subject in ways that a broad overview cannot, making the resulting work much richer and more compelling.