This paper frames the device of the ‘network’ as the narrative underlining Ruchat-Roncati’s output as a practitioner and teacher. It argues that her approach combined a rigorous work ethic with a fluid modus operandi, developing a pliant yet resilient network of colleagues and friends through which she could achieve her professional goals alongside theirs. Rather than viewing such a device as coldly instrumental, the argument views this modality of a woman’s practice as poignantly reliant on the supporting network. Regional specificity is also relevant, since such networks shaped Ruchat-Roncati’s role in transcending cultural boundaries, with Italy and within Switzerland itself.