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Despite Coronavirus, Fashion Brands Unveil Design Collections

MILAN — The international furniture and design trade show Salone del Mobile was canceled this year — yet another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic — but that didn’t mean brands didn’t have new furniture and other objects ready to roll out into the market. Originally slated to run April 21 to 25 at Milan’s Rho-Fiera venue, the Salone is now scheduled to take place from April 13 to 18, 2021 — and it is expected to be a milestone as it will mark the show’s 60th anniversary.

Here, a roundup of the latest designs from some of the fashion brands that have developed a solid business in furniture and interiors.

ARMANI CASA:

Armani Casa marks its 20th anniversary this year and the new collection is an ideal reflection of Giorgio Armani’s vision. “I have always believed in an idea of timeless elegance, which is not only a precise aesthetic code, but also an approach to the design,” the designer said.

The brand is adding Paulownia wood to its collection, as well as different variations of ashwood, whose visible streaks inject visual impact. Further committing to sustainability, Armani is launching Puro — “pure” in English — a lineup that contrasts dark brown ashwood and green quartzite from South America. The two materials are applied by using different and irregular rectangular tiles, which give a second life to the remnants of wood and stone panels used for larger furniture. For this reason, each table will be unique.

The latest addition to the brand’s collection of vanity tables is Passion. With the Art Deco inspiration that Armani is fond of, the coiffeuse is marked by a structure clad in leather and completed by a top in natural quartzite, with details in satin-finished brass.

Expanding Armani Casa’s straw marquetries, the brand is launching a new Crisscross Natural Straw finish: the base panel is covered in vertical straws, which contrast with the horizontal ones glued to leave the background visible. Straws of rye are glued one by one to create the intricate pattern and the alternating stripes result in a visual effect of several tones of gold and brown.

Armani Casa’s Puro side tables  courtesy image

VERSACE: 

Versace will launch its new furniture collection in June, but the 2020 textiles and accessories collection is already available online. It has introduced the Virtus line, marked by the same Barocco letter “V” found on the brand’s handbags. The acanthus leaf embellished letter is placed on soft cushions, plush bathrobes, slippers and home accessories. The runway is also referenced in a new line of decorative velvet-trimmed cushions boasting the Barocco Garden print presented in Versace’s fall 2020 collection. Versace’s longtime tie-up with tabletop company Rosenthal continues and the latest additions from the Milan-based fashion company are the Versace Jungle and Versace Jungle Animalier lines.

Versace’s Jungle collection by Rosenthal  LKV

MISSONI HOME:

Inspired by art and nature, Missoni Home’s 2020 collection offers key furniture pieces, modular sofas and soft cushions covered in textiles in the brand’s signature vibrant colors and rich patterns. Developed according to different themes, the range includes the “Daydream” line of bright floral motifs splashed on cozy sofas and chaise-longue armchairs; the “Magic Garden” series defined by cool shades of blue and exotic philodendron leaf embellishment; the “Terre” range centered around neutral, earthy tones and landscape designs; the rustic feel of the “Dolomiti” pieces evoking wood, stones and forest elements with their shades and textural effects, and the “Modern Iconic” line of polychrome, abstract motifs and graphic patterns.

Missoni Home’s “Modern Iconic” series.  Courtesy Photo

FENDI CASA:

A discreet take on logomania gives a distinctive twist to the Fendi Casa 2020 collection, produced and distributed under license by Italian furniture and interior design specialist Luxury Living. The Roman fashion house’s signature FF logo, for example, pops up on the armrest’s side profile of the new Lambert versatile sofa, which is also peppered by leather inserts in Fendi’s iconic Pequin striped pattern. A similar use of the logo is seen in the outdoor furniture lineup, which includes the sinuous Thea chair, where a braided leather backrest is combined with a steel structure showing an inlaid FF motif. The Versilia chaise longue features an Iroko wooden frame, which on the side echoes the stripes of the Pequin pattern.

Fendi Casa Lambert sofa  Courtesy of Luxury Living

HERMÈS:

Hermès will be presenting its broader range of furnishing and home accessories in May, but it already introduced its 2020 tableware and wallpaper designs to its online store. For the former lineup, the French luxury house called on artist Nathalie Rolland-Huckel, who drew inspiration from lush foliage and flowers to develop the “Passifolia” range of 30 items, each embellished with a golden edging and featuring banana, chestnut and fern leaves painted in sage, mint and celadon green flanked by hibiscuses and anthuriums done in saturated nuances such as fuchsia, coral pink and garnet red. Nature and a more balanced reconciliation of it with the urban landscape inspired the house’s 10th wallpaper collection crafted from textiles and paper. The range includes the “Cité Archipel” design, drawn in ballpoint pen, which combines mountain and lake landscapes with urban crossroads — the signature Hermès horse carriage standing out at the center of the composition.

Hermès’ “Passifolia” lineup of tableware for its 2020 home collection.  Audrey Corregan/Courtesy of Hermès.

ETRO HOME: 

Etro Home embraced a relaxed, soft aesthetic for its new collection. Delicate, light colors take center stage, seen on curved shapes in distinctive pieces, infused with the brand’s signature exotic and nomadic vibe. Echoing a Moroccan atmosphere, the Vessel coffee tables feature a wooden top covered with a coated paisley fabric and are decorated with light brass decorative motifs that reproduce the brand’s signature cashmere pattern. Injected with a colonial vibe, the Ceylon sofa combines dark wengé wood with the new Selva upholstery, showing tropical motifs in a subdued color palette. An addition to the Etro Home offering, the outdoor line brings the brand’s style to gardens and terraces. For example, the Menfi chaise-longue has a sinuous silhouette, a charming mix of fabrics, legs inspired by bamboo stems, as well as a detail on the back of the headrest that recreates the first letter of the Etro logo.

Etro Home Menfi chaise-longue 

TRUSSARDI CASA: 

Trussardi Casa teamed with famed Italian architect and interior designer Carlo Colombo to create the new “Oval” line. Inspired by the oval profile of the Trussardi logo, the line includes armchairs, poufs, chairs, coffee and side tables with metallic oval structures with a special galvanic finishing. The Trussardi Casa collections are produced and distributed by Luxury Living.

Trussardi Casa Oval armchairs  Courtesy of Luxury Living

DIESEL LIVING:

Diesel continues to bank on its signature furnishing pieces for its 2020 Living collection, developed in collaboration with a number of premium design companies for a functional yet edgy look. With Scavolini, Diesel is introducing the Social Kitchen, where gray titanium elements are juxtaposed against wooden pieces. Also fostering socialization, the voluminous Nebula sofa created with Moroso and inspired by clouds is matched with lightweight pillows crafted from stonewashed linen. A dreamlike inspiration informed the Starman vase in the shape of an astronaut, which was designed in partnership with Seletti, the Italian design company known for its surreal approach to home decor.

Diesel Living’s “Social Kitchen” developed in partnership with Scavolini.  Courtesy of Diesel.