Since 1967 this laundry in Marostica situated within a short walking distance from the magnificent Piazza degli Scacchi, has united the high quality of artisan work with the love for photographs that the owner of the laundry Sergio Sartori (a passionate photographer) takes and exhibits inside his business
“We all certainly love the nice smell of a woolen sweater that reminds us of a flowery meadow or the ocean breeze”. These words, highlighted on the business blog are enough for us to understand that the La Suprema laundry in Marostica, Vicenza, is travelling on some different track than the usual one for this kind of a business. Although we are talking about a softener and its “restorative” powers here indeed, it is the graceful way of a sonnet or of a “modrigale arioso” style that strikes us.
These are typical sensations when Beauty is at home. Also because it is Marostica, whose three-hundred-year old scaligeri style city walls surround the jewel of this world famous square for its Chess Game played with real human figures every two years. What is more, Sergio Sartori, the owner of the La Suprema, a real educated Marostican who recognizes the esthetics everywhere, has made Beauty become an authentic company “mission”. It is enough to enter the laundry, situated along the medieval walls, managed by Sergio Sartori and his wife Mira together with two employees, to catch a glimpse of some particular views. In the first place, the displayed garments. Garments treated “real time” before the very eyes of everybody, which makes us notice that this laundry follows all the standards of artisan work. But it leads us somewhere else, too. Precisely, to the magnificent, magnetic and artistic photographs displayed on the walls of the laundry.
Few months ago two collective photo exhibitions were displayed in the store. One of them dedicated to Marostica Medieval Times and its figures while the other one to the Game of Chess that took place in 2014. Last month it was the personal art exhibition by Gabriella Strada. “She is the current President of Marostica Photography Club 1979 – Sergio Sartori explains – an association that I personally founded thirty-six years ago that later grew together with La Suprema, as I have always kept the doors of my laundry open to exhibitions by the associates and members of the club. If I had not opened a laundry, I would have definitely chosen to become a photographer, as it has been my passion for life”.
Let us go back to 1967. “I finished my military service then – the La Suprema owner says – and my mom Dina Cavaliere had just taken over the business asking me to help her”. Impossible to say no, also because the laundry turned out to be a real family vocation, considering the fact that other laundries were opened around the town by Sergio Sartori’s brothers: Alfredo in Nove, Antonio in Molvena and Luciano in Rosà. “Obviously the history of this business developed together with the history of this town – the launderer photographer explains – and its habits. During the economical boom in the 80’s everybody ran to the laundry and we followed the trend by having two trucks withdrawing and delivering the linen, and more employees too”.
“The turning point came later, with the crisis – Sartori clarifies – when everything decreased. It was then that I looked around and saw everybody working for less, and it was then that I said to myself: I do not need to be a competitor of anybody. In this way, by keeping the quality level high, the clients become your friends and your fundamental endorsement. As each of them comes back home satisfied, they will come back to you taking a friend with them”.
This is traditional artisan based marketing, founded on quality. Every single thing at the La Suprema turns around this concept: hanged and hand ironed garments, each shirt wrapped in its special paper, anti-moth treatment and high quality sanitizers such as those by Rampi. All the cleaning work managed by two dry cleaning and two wet cleaning machines. As for the wet cleaning, La Superma guideline is precisely clear: optimizing the resources in terms of quality e.g. in case of dry cleaned shirts, wet cleaning is applied to finish and soften the garment.
Therefore, whether it is photos to be hanged or clothes to be washed, the aim of the “Suprema” from Marostica stays the same and it is called Beauty.
by Stefano Ferrio
DETERGO MAGAZINE
September 2016
