The Marco Polo Drive
- Aug 8
- 3 min read
RISA VENEZIA joins a 15,000-kilometre journey retracing the Silk Road — a journey of cultures, craftsmanship and exchange from Venice to China.
Seven hundred and fifty years ago, a seventeen-year-old Venetian named Marco Polo left the lagoon and set out towards the East. He would not return to Venice for twenty-five years.
This June, the Marco Polo Drive of Peace, Culture and Sustainable Development followed his footsteps in a 43-day, 15,000-kilometre overland journey from Rome to Hong Kong, led by economist Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University and investor Patrick Zhong of M31 Capital, with partners including BYD, Michelin, Franklin Templeton and Trip.com.
The Drive follows the historic Silk Road through eleven countries and thirty-one stops, bringing together conversations around culture, heritage, innovation, sustainability and the future of global connection.
Stop number three was Venice. And at this important location, Marco Polo's hometown, two Silk Road exlorers collided.
THE MARCO POLO DRIVE X RISA VENEZIA
RISA's first collection, Marco Polo, was inspired by the same vast network of cultural exchange that shaped the explorer's journey. Rather than simply referencing Marco Polo, the collection follows his route through textiles, with each garment connected to a different place along the journey from Venice to China.
At the heart of RISA's work is the belief that textiles can carry stories across generations. For RISA, this is about more than reusing a material. It is about preserving the craftsmanship, history and cultural memory contained within it.
During their time in Venice, Jeffrey Sachs and Beatrice visited the historic Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua, one of the city's oldest textile workshops. Silk was one of the great materials that travelled along the ancient trade routes between China and Europe, and Venice became an important centre for silk weaving as the city developed its commercial relationship with the East. Today, Bevilacqua continues this tradition in Venice, weaving some of the world's most distinctive fabrics by hand on historic looms. Much of the silk used in this centuries-old craft still originates in China.
The connection is therefore remarkably tangible: a material that once travelled along the Silk Road continues to travel from East to West, where Venetian artisans transform it through techniques passed down through generations.
It is precisely this continuity between cultures, craftsmanship and contemporary creativity that lies at the heart of both the Marco Polo Drive and RISA's work.
THE COLLECTION'S PATH
The Marco Polo Collection follows the journey from Venice towards China, with each garment interpreting a specific place, figure or chapter along the Silk Road: from Venice to Acre, Samarkand, Kashgar, Xi'an (Chang'an), Beijing and Quinsai
The Acre Coat draws from Acre, an important port and meeting point between East and West.
The Samarkand Coat takes inspiration from the city's intricate architectural and decorative traditions.
The Kashgar Coat reflects the city's history as a crossroads of cultures along the Silk Road.
The Xi'An Coat draws from the segmented forms of the Terracotta Army, while the Zhang Qian Coat honours the Chinese official whose journey west is closely associated with the early opening of the Silk Road.
The Kublai Khan Coat references the Mongol ruler and the imperial court in which Marco Polo spent many years.
The Longpao and Qinglong Coats look to the visual language of Imperial China, while the Quinsai Coat takes its name from the city Marco Polo described as Quinsai — modern-day Hangzhou.
Together, the collection transforms a historical journey into a contemporary textile narrative. You can explore the story behind each piece in the Marco Polo Collection on our dedicated page:
WHAT'S MORE
The Drive continues its journey from Venice towards China, following a route that has connected people, materials, ideas and cultures for centuries. Follow the rest of the journey on the Marco Polo Drive's website.
For RISA, being part of the journey has been a reminder that the Silk Road is not simply a story belonging to the past. Its influence can still be found in the materials we use, the techniques we preserve and the ways cultures continue to inspire one another.
Stay updated to know more about the interview and where to find it- coming soon.
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