You can never have enough...

[Venetian1]

Thanks for putting up that link Mica - found it fascinating to watch.

Last time I was in Venice we had a private invite to visit a factory which makes silk velvet. The factory is well tucked away from the tourist areas and even a lot of Venetians don’t get to see it so felt very privileged to be able to visit it.  
It was so interesting the machinery and the whole process is several hundred years old. All very hands on and takes ages to just set up the looms and make it. The colours were absolutely beautiful. 
Don’t know if that is the Italian factory that made the silk velvet for the uniforms but do know that they make velvet for various European and British palaces and the White House.