fornasetti + poltrona frau craft dreamlike armchair for milan design week

a match made in milan

Italian design icons Poltrona Frau and Fornasetti are joining forces for the first time, reimagining the iconic Vanity Fair XC armchair with a limited-edition collaboration. Set to be unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024, this meeting of design, craftsmanship, and technology sees Poltrona Frau’s armchair reimagined with Fornasetti’s signature illustrations, featuring a sun and moon rising over swirling clouds. This limited edition of fifty pieces pays homage to Poltrona Frau’s 2024 Imagine Collection, set to be presented at the 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile.

images courtesy Fornasetti

Silk Screen Technique for a Unique Touch

Together with Fornasetti, Poltrona Frau takes digital printing on leather to a new level by implementing the silk screen technique for the first time. This method, derived from the fashion industry, allows for intricate reproduction of Fornasetti’s hand-drawn patterns while offering a unique tactile experience. The Pelle Frau® Impact Less leather used is crafted with sustainability in mind, minimizing water and chemical usage during tanning and harnessing renewable energy sources in production.

Available for pre-order online starting February 15th, 2024, each of the fifty individually numbered editions comes with an exclusive leather clutch, a signed certificate of authenticity, and a special edition Vanity Fair XC leather key-chain. Select Poltrona Frau stores will offer orders starting April 10th, coinciding with the official unveiling at the Salone del Mobile.

Italian design houses Poltrona Frau and Fornasetti join forces to reimagine the Vanity Fair XC armchair

fornasetti meets poltrona frau to ‘imagine reality’

This collaboration marks a significant moment, bringing together two paragons of Italian design and craftsmanship. As Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, states: ‘Fornasetti has sparked the imagination of its devotees for nearly a century. As two of the most recognisable and historic Italian brands still operating today, Fornasetti and Poltrona Frau represent the best of Made in Italy excellence.’

Barnaba Fornasetti, Artistic Director of Fornasetti, reflects on the inspiration behind the design: ‘Even as a young child, people used to tell me that I had my head in the clouds. So, I replicated the clouds from an old print in my bedroom and used them as wallpaper and decoration on various objects. The sun, with its face and stylised rays, is one of the themes my father interpreted obsessively, to the point that it became a Fornasetti icon. When I sat on the Vanity Fair armchair, I felt like I was on a cloud and began to daydream.’

fifty individually numbered pieces feature Fornasetti’s celestial illustrations
the collaboration marks the launch of Poltrona Frau’s 2024 Imagine Collection
a first for Poltrona Frau, the digital silk screen technique faithfully reproduces Fornasetti’s intricate patterns