Guri I Zi

Guri I Zi is a sustainable brand specializing in home and table textiles. Our products blend Made in Italy design with precious craftsmanship, entirely crafted on a wooden loom with natural Italian yarns such as linen and cotton.
The story of Guri I Zi is the tale of a small village nestled in the mountains of northern Albania: it is here that the art of weaving on a wooden loom has been passed down from mother to daughter for over a century. Craftsmanship and traditions, skilled hands weaving, sewing, and embroidering, give life to high-quality interior furnishing fabrics.
The success, marked by the opening of a flagship boutique in Milan in 2012, and collaborations over the years with major department stores and interior designers, have positioned Guri I Zi as an Italian lifestyle brand in the home textile sector.
Founded in 2006 by Elena Galateri di Genola as a textile micro-enterprise project for female empowerment, today Guri I Zi is a social enterprise providing employment for over 40 artisans in one of the poorest communities in Albania. The core values of social inclusion and poverty alleviation, coupled with a passion for high craftsmanship, have allowed the brand to restore dignity and hope to many women and their families. Since 2021, Guri I ZI has initiated a weaving and tailoring workshop in Italy to provide job opportunities for vulnerable women. The design of the collections is overseen by textile designer Livia Crispolti.

Why it is in The Green Circle

Among the main global goals for sustainable development are the fight against poverty and hunger, gender equality, the right to decent work, and economic growth for all. Guri I Zi has made these goals its raison d’être, by reclaiming ancient and local knowledge and providing numerous women with the opportunity not only to have significant support but also to introduce the world to extraordinary products in their simplicity and quality.
SDGs: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16