After some early experiences in radio at RAI in Turin, a young Piero Farani arrived in Rome during the vibrant and enthusiastic atmosphere of Italy’s economic boom. Italian cinema was at its creative peak, and on the steps of Trinità dei Monti gathered many young talents who would become iconic figures—Paolo Poli, Giancarlo Cobelli, Gian Maria Volontè, Franco Zeffirelli, and many more.

In this unique cultural climate, Farani decided to follow his friend Danilo Donati as an assistant at the Annamode costume atelier. It was an immediate revelation. In that workshop, the pieces of his personal mosaic came together—his talent emerged, and costume-making became the singular passion of his life.

From assistant, he became head of the workshop, and a few years later, supported by the rising star Donati, he opened his own atelier in September 1962 on Viale Mazzini. The first production was Hamlet with Proclemer/Albertazzi, directed by Zeffirelli with costumes by Donati.

The 1960s marked his collaborations with Donati on Pasolini’s films—costuming 9 out of 13 of them. With Zeffirelli, Donati won his first Oscar in 1968 for Romeo and Juliet, and later, in 1976, another Oscar for Casanova with Fellini. These films redefined costume design through innovative techniques and unusual materials.

Other significant productions included The Bible by J. Huston and Barbarella by Vadim, often cited for its futuristic costumes in fashion texts.

It was also the golden age of black-and-white television and legendary Saturday night shows like Studio Uno and Canzonissima, where icons such as Mina and Delia Scala were dressed, along with Leonardo by Castellani featuring costumes by Ezio Frigerio.

By the late 1970s, with the decline of Italian cinema, the atelier shifted toward opera and theater, collaborating with the world’s leading theaters. A new generation of designers joined—Lele Luzzati, Santuzza Calì, Franca Squarciapino, Mauro Pagano, Maurizio Scaparro, Gabriele Lavia, and Andrea Viotti.

Piero Farani, deeply devoted to his work, always considered himself an artisan. Foreseeing the future, in the early 1980s he entrusted Luigi Piccolo (Giuti) as his successor.

At the same time, the atelier moved to its current location in Trastevere. After Farani’s death in 1997, Piccolo took over, maintaining the spirit of experimentation while focusing on historical costume reconstruction.

Starting from a small fundus, Piccolo built a private collection of over a thousand authentic garments, from the mid-18th century to 1960s haute couture.

In the last decade, several exhibitions have been organized to promote and showcase the cultural value of artisanal craftsmanship.

From 2025, with the relocation to the new premises in Via Crescenzo del Monte, the atelier looks ahead to another 60 years of ambitious projects.