Agnona
Born in 1915 in Arola on the shores of Italy's Lake Orta, Francesco Ilorini Mo possessed an extraordinary eye for beauty from an early age. Raised among the forests and foothills of the Italian Alps, his deep connection to nature shaped a lifelong pursuit of tactile perfection. As a child, his ingenuity was already evident—famously crafting tiny fabric pouches for his hens so their eggs wouldn't roll down the hillside.
A gifted designer, Francesco quickly rose through the ranks of a Sesia Valley textile mill before founding Lanerie Agnona in 1953, driven by a vision to create fabrics unlike any other. Inspired by nature's finest fibers, he traveled the world—from Peru and Tasmaniato Mongolia and China—sourcing exceptional vicuña, cashmere, and alpaca to produce some of Italy's most luxurious textiles.
His relentless pursuit of excellence earned him the trust of the world's leading couturiers. Carrying his signature suitcase of fabrics and dressed in his iconic white alpaca coat, Francesco became a valued supplier to fashion legends including Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, and Yves Saint Laurent, establishing Agnona as a benchmark of Italian textile craftsmanship.