FLORENCE, ITALY—Walking through the heart of Florence’s historic quarter, up the narrow street of Borgo San Frediano renowned for its artisans, you will find AtelierGK Firenze (Atelier Giannini and Kuwata of Florence), the workshop of bookbinder Lapo Giannini and paper and book conservator Michiko Kuwata.
Bookbinding runs through Giannini’s bloodline: As a sixth-generation Florentine bookbinder, he’s been working at his trade for some 25 years. Tokyo-born Kuwata has been conserving books for over 16 years in Florence, her adopted home. Together they set up shop eight years ago, but their customers mainly come from outside of Italy, from places such as New York and San Francisco in the United States, the UK, and France.
