The Makers Behind Artisan Umbrellas

Every piece in the Artisan Umbrellas catalog comes from one of three sources: two independent Italian ateliers Artisan Umbrellas partners with directly — Pasotti and Il Marchesato — and Artisan Umbrellas' own in-house design line. Here's what distinguishes each, and what each one actually makes.

Pasotti

Founded in 1956 in Castellucchio, Italy, Pasotti remains a family-owned workshop more than six decades on — every piece is still individually handcrafted by skilled Italian artisans, in limited quantities rather than mass production.

652 active listings across umbrellas ($157–$1,425), walking canes ($150–$1,500), and shoehorns ($158–$1,165). Pasotti supplies the majority of Artisan Umbrellas' leather-handle umbrellas (101 of 127), all of its acetate-handle umbrellas (72 of 72), and just over half of its wood-handle umbrellas (58 of 89).

Pasotti works in a classic, gentleman's-style register: one-piece wood sticks, genuine leather handles, and traditional Mylord brass handles, each finished by hand. Its pieces favor natural, tactile materials — wood, leather, acetate — over heavy embellishment, aiming for restrained, wearable elegance rather than statement pieces. See the full Pasotti buying guide and how a Pasotti umbrella is made, panel by panel. Shop Pasotti-heavy collections: Acetate Handle, Leather Handle, Wood Handle.

Il Marchesato

Founded in 1978, with a family tradition in umbrella craftsmanship reaching back to the 1930s, Il Marchesato has spent decades building a reputation as one of Italy's most respected luxury umbrella houses — every piece still hand-assembled by Italian artisans rather than mass-produced.

758 active listings across umbrellas ($157–$1,425), walking canes, and shoehorns. Il Marchesato supplies essentially all of Artisan Umbrellas' carbon-fiber umbrellas (152 of 152) and the large majority of its crystal and Swarovski umbrellas (227 of 267) and gold-plated handle umbrellas (212 of 221).

Il Marchesato leans more decorative and jeweled: hand-enameled figural handles, crystal-set designs, and its own FiberCarbon frame line — carbon-fiber ribs that flex under wind gusts instead of snapping or inverting, which Pasotti doesn't currently offer. Where Pasotti favors restraint, Il Marchesato favors craftsmanship you can see from across the room. See the full Il Marchesato guide. Shop Il Marchesato-heavy collections: Carbon Fiber, Crystal & Swarovski, Gold-Plated Handle.

For the full material and price breakdown behind these numbers, see the Artisan Umbrellas Assortment Index: Pasotti vs. Il Marchesato by the Numbers.

Artisan Umbrellas Original

Alongside its partnerships with Pasotti and Il Marchesato, Artisan Umbrellas designs and crafts a small number of its own pieces in-house — original, author-designed umbrellas and walking canes rather than replicas of any existing model, licensed character, or protected design.

The in-house walking cane line currently spans 13 pieces, priced $175–$1,500, in wood, resin, and sculptural handle designs — each one-of-a-kind rather than produced to a fixed pattern. Custom commissions are available on request: contact Artisan Umbrellas to discuss a personal design, a meaningful symbol, or a tribute piece.

Materials across both houses

Both ateliers work across a shared palette of natural and precious materials — wood, leather, brass, enamel, crystal — each with different care needs. See our materials guide for what each one is and how to care for it, and the FAQ for common questions before you buy.

Questions about a specific piece?

If you're trying to confirm which of these three sources made a specific item, or want material and construction details before you buy, contact the Artisan Umbrellas team — happy to help before you order, not just after.

Pasotti and Il Marchesato are trademarks of their respective owners. Artisan Umbrellas is an independent US-based partner retailer and is not the official Pasotti or Il Marchesato website.