My wife and I recently discovered Laura's adorable and cozy shop when we were traversing the east side of Florence, connecting a few cathedrals on a walking route. I love Florence's craftsman traditions and feel it's a little spoiled by the retail scene and trinket culture around the Duomo and other top attractions. Laura's products are handmade, starting with the fascinating wooden looms that she weaves her fabrics with.
Laura was so kind and fun and engaging to speak with. She invited us to see the weaving in action (our bag's fabric has Japanese paper woven into it!). She asked us all about where we're from and was enthusiastic about travel and seeing new places.
When we finally selected a bag that we thought my sister would love, it was almost perfect.... I knew my sister would love the bag's flat bottom, attractive color blend and unique texture. It had two short woven handles, but I also know she loves shoulder bags. When we voiced this to Laura, she gladly suggested applying a new leather strap to serve for over-the-shoulder mode. We went around the corner (to an amazing, more local-centered public market) for lunch and picked up the modified, perfected bag less than 2 hours later. She charged nothing for the change.
We loved the shop, found Laura to be a shining, brilliant and kind person and....we loved the soundtracks she had rolling in the shop and how she'd spontaneously sing along.
With pride for supporting a Florentine artisan,
Zak