In-person learning · NYC Garment District
Learn to read a garment and develop a pattern with Franco Maselli, a master pattern maker and tailor from Naples. Beginners are welcome.
$200 / introductory session · 2 hours 45 minutes · Tools and muslin included
Request a date. Julian confirms availability before you pay a deposit.
For students, designers, sewists, tailors, makers, and anyone who wants to understand garment construction through the hands. You do not need to be advanced to begin.
Tools and muslin are provided. Bring a simple symmetrical garment — pants, a basic shirt, or a coat are ideal starting points.
Session Availability
Your first session starts with the garment you bring.
Request your preferred date below. Julian will confirm a time with you before arranging the $75 introductory deposit.
Small group — usually up to 3 students.
10:45 AM – 1:30 PM · 2:05 PM – 4:50 PM
$75 deposit holds your spot. Remaining balance in person or via Zelle.
Date confirmed before deposit
Wednesday through Friday, with occasional Saturdays by arrangement.
11:00 AM – 1:45 PM · 2:30 PM – 5:15 PM · 5:30 PM – 8:15 PM
No deposit required. Pay day-of or prepay to lock multiple dates.
We work with out-of-state and international students. A Wednesday morning intro is sometimes possible when a Saturday doesn't fit the travel schedule. Follow-up sessions can be stacked Wednesday through Friday to make the most of a limited NYC window.
DIONYSOS Atelier · NYC Garment District Address confirmed upon booking
Franco is a master pattern maker and tailor from Naples, with sixty years of experience inside NYC's Garment District.
These sessions preserve his traditional rub-off method: reading an existing garment through balance, proportion, structure, and construction, drafting a clean paper pattern by hand, testing it in muslin, and correcting it on the body.
The knowledge he carries was never written down. It was passed hand to hand, inside pattern rooms, cutting rooms, sample studios, and factories — many of which no longer exist.
Each student receives direct, hands-on correction from Franco himself. Bring your questions and the garment you want to understand.
Franco teaches the rub-off method as analysis, not tracing. Students learn to read an existing garment by studying its balance, proportion, ease, structure, and construction. The goal is not simply to copy a garment. The goal is to understand how it works.
Book an Intro Session →Franco studies the existing garment before touching a single tool. Balance. Proportion. Structure. Ease. Construction. He is not copying — he is understanding.
From the analysis, Franco drafts a clean paper pattern by hand. Each mark is precise. Each correction is intentional. Nothing is approximated.
The drafted pattern is cut and assembled in muslin, then tested on the body. The muslin is where the idea meets reality — and where the real learning begins.
Franco corrects fit directly on the body. Balance adjustments. Proportion refinements. Each correction is marked, transferred to the pattern, and resolved.
Corrections become a refined garment. Construction decisions are made consciously. Sewing and finishing logic follows the pattern — not the other way around.
The goal is to understand how the garment works. That understanding is what the rub-off method builds — session by session, correction by correction.
A self-paced archive of Franco's traditional rub-off method. Fully pre-recorded. The same method taught in person. Built as preservation, not rushed content.
Presale is open now. Purchase today to lock your access. You will be notified directly with login details once the platform launches.
In production. This purchase reserves future digital access; lessons are not available immediately. Review the current product details and presale terms before purchasing.
A working set of professional pattern-making tools sourced from long-standing suppliers in and around NYC's Garment District. It exists to support Franco's rub-off method directly. This is not decorative. This is not merch. This is a preservation tool.
Order the ToolkitDaytona Trimming
Steinlauf & Stoller
Manhattan Ward Supply
Sil Thread
Pacific Trimming
See the product page for current toolkit contents, availability, and shipping information.
Franco's knowledge is being documented — on film, in pattern, and in print — as a permanent record of a method that exists in fewer and fewer hands every year.
The studio supports an active apprentice pathway. This is not a credential program. It is a direct transmission of skill from one generation to the next — the way it has always been done.
Franco's Studio is connected to a broader preservation initiative supporting technical documentation of Garment District practitioners and businesses. The knowledge of this neighborhood belongs to everyone.
Everything you need to know before booking an introductory session with Franco.
Request a SessionTell Julian what you want to work on and when you can visit. He will confirm availability and the next steps. This request does not reserve a place or charge you.
Prefer a message? Instagram or email Julian.
Whether you want to book a session, join the presale, order the toolkit, or simply want to know more — reach out directly. Every inquiry is answered personally.
Available dates and times are sent after checking the live calendar. A $75 deposit holds the introductory spot.
Julian@byjulianmedina.comDIONYSOS Atelier
Inside NYC's Garment District · Address confirmed upon booking
Saturday Intro · 10:45 AM – 1:30 PM · 2:05 PM – 4:50 PM
Follow-Ups · Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Instagram · @byjulianmedina
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