18 minute read
Leo Cavalli, CEO Visionaire
Interview
SEZNO BENSON
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Leopold Cavalli CEO Visionaire
What is the story and moments behind becoming CEO of Visionnaire How has it been the on going ongoing journey and are you purely a family company ? You are top CEO and also known to be a product and marketing guru ! We know your sister is deeply involved, how do you work together ? We want to know more !
1959: marks the founding of the historic Italian company IPE, by the brothers Pompeo, Carlo and Vittorio Cavalli. Their entrepreneurial adventure in the world of furnishings, specializing in upholstered pieces marked by unrivaled engineering and stylistic innovation for the times, was a great success. During the 1970s the se-cond generation of the family joined the firm, represented by Vittorio’s son, Luigi Cavalli (my father) who envi-sioned and implemented the brand’s expansion on an international scale. Halfway through the 1990s Luigi’s children, me Leopold and my sister Eleonore (my best partner in crime! She is now the Art Director of Vision-naire and she is in charge of all the marketing department all over the world), became involved, launching a new initiative with our father which led to the birth of Visionnaire in 2004. The
new operation involved offering with a purely original character: an anomaly within the galaxy of Made in Italy brands – and elsewhere – gen-erating products of extroverted design, with the ability to define – as the first of the first. A field of action that would extend from the painstaking formulation of each individual object, to its projection into the environmental dimension, producing detailed volumes of every size, designed to respond to an infinite range of personal requirements. Hence, Visionnaire has created a totally unique concept driven by a tailor-made approach, fastidious refinement, inventive ideas and exceptional workmanship, and turned it into a true trademark, and in the process, redefining the term “luxury” in utterly unprecedented ways. Visionnaire envisions new worlds focused upon individual identities, and in so doing, sets a new bar for successful residen-tial design. In short, it represents the pinnacle of reference, guiding a revolution of taste in the realm of interiors, but more importantly codifying the principles for a new philosophy of life. Visionnaire sets a style – creates a new language – that has a character of unexpected invention, formulated to reveal an expressive universe that knows no thematic bounds and places no restrictions on experimental investigation. The force of this way of interpreting an entrepreneurial mission lies in the ability to forge beyond limits, to extend the company’s action over the threshold of the possible, fulfilling desires and visions previously relegated to the realm of the unachievable. Visionnaire loves complexity, finding solutions through extreme research, bringing together distant worlds and combining the multiple forms of art with the positive excitement found in the dimension of dreams. Since 2010 Visionnaire has included stakeholders from international investment funds but the brand’s primary orientation and characteristics have remained unchanged: its creative action, communication and spread have been further expanded, taking on the character of a truly unique phenomenon.
How have you transformed the company since you took over ?
Under my leadership the company has been transformed from industrial to a reality of craftsmanship and art. I wanted to take up the challenge of fulfilling the dreams of a high-spending clientele looking for emotional projects characterized by heavy customizations. Our clients are the most creatives in the world, they turn to us and they find a strong personality in our language; It often happens to design with them the house of their dreams. Our way of designing involves constant exposure to risk, to a much greater extent than is usually associated with the activity of the entrepreneur: it is the risk connected with the desire to test limits, to probe extremes, to venture beyond what is considered permissible or advisable. It is also the risk implied in invention. The love of a challenge, approached with courage, is part of the genetic background of Visionnaire and comes substan-tially from a taste for play, and a vital ability to apply this playful spirit as a driving force to create something extraordinary, incorporating ample quantities of invention and imagination. Only through ingenious action is it possible to fulfill a calculated desire to generate daydreams, to give concrete form to the most exciting and necessary illusions, to those mirages or fantasies that against all expectations should – and can – be made reachable, tangible, real. For Visionnaire the belief in utopian achievements is a programmatic need; like the need to produce, through activities and realizations, signals of discontinuity with the sta- tus quo, examples of violation of the practices that foster standardization, uniformity and neutrality. Our ingenuity is manifested – with all its force – in the conscious will to grant depth to fantasy and invention, producing artifacts and spaces with cogent expressive identities, anti-aseptic creations that have a positive influence on our lifestyles. This courage in the face of risk, which Visionnaire pursues by nurturing a sense of intelligent irony, is the most pow-erful tool of creative extroversion to pay tribute to an “o -standard,” irregular redeeming presence in our eve-ryday lives.
What is your description of Visionnaire today ? And where do you believe it sits in the premium world of interiors ? Why are you considered Best of the Best ? What are the immediate plans for the future ?
Visionnaire is a meta-luxury brand of reference in the sector of interior design Made in Italy, renowned for its one-of-a-kind design prowess tailored to respond to the desires of its clients. The brand operates in over 55 countries, thanks to over 30 exclusive monobrand stores and a network of department store and multibrand showrooms all over the world. Since 2004 Visionnaire has formulated a distinctive style, based on lively experi-mentation
on materials, volumes of unexpected poise and inimitable motifs that reveal the totally Italian background of the company. Thanks to the collaboration with a team of eclectic, visionary Italian and foreign designers, the company is an ideal partner for bespoke proposals in residential and contract applications, lux-ury hotellerie, as well as the yachting and aviation sectors. The brand bases its activity on the value of knowledge and continuing research on the concept of contemporary beauty, confirming its exceptional abil-ity to create design projects and products of outstanding sartorial workmanship, fostering and restoring value to the skills of local artisans located across the Italian territory. The meta-luxury of contents and values is re-flected in the responsible use of materials, through technological research conducted by the company and investments to boost the efciency of its chain of production. Visionnaire relies on a network of over 30 crafts hubs located all over the country, enabling the company to create extraordinary, unique objects: mixing and matching materials, applying the skills of artisans to test, perfect and define new compositional and material solutions, defining the identity of every single product by making it unique and inimitable, though also ready for reproduction. Visionnaire also makes a rigorous, responsible commitment to its territory. This desire to protect our natural heritage and human capital – outlined in the artbook-manifesto “Decàlogo” leads to awareness that informs and orients the company’s cultural vision, from the selection of materials to the final touches of workmanship required by production cycles, taking on a precise, intense ethical position. In 2019 Visionnaire obtained the certifications FSC® Forest Stewardship Council® C147146 and PEFC™ Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification, with the goal of orienting clients towards responsible management of forest heritage and of guaranteeing that the wood varieties utilized come from legal sources and certified supply chains. Visionnaire also has ISO 9001 certification since 2011, ensuring respect for qualitative standards of management, within a wider-ranging project of protection and development of Italian know-how, based on the choice of creating products entirely in Italy, over the last sixty years.
We are here to also talk about Visionnaire’s relationship with Nigeria! What are your investments plans to expand in Nigeria ?
We have big plans for Africa and Nigeria is a central important country in Africa. We believe that Abuja is the starting point to implement our brand awarness in Africa. And most of all, we are convinced to have found “the perfect partner” in there. Nettetal, Zakaa, part of Hole 19 group, is the right “nest” for Visionnaire . They have the know how and the experience on how to comunicate a luxury brand, the proper locations and the right networking. It is going to be an excellent debut !
Whilst you have several retailers on the continent you are currently building a mono Space in Abuja, Nigeria. How is that going for you ?
Together with our partner Hole19, we are completing a mediumlarge self-standing store In Abuja, which will be inaugurated in the spring of 2021.
Who are your partners ? How did you meet ? What are the synergies that will make it work ? Tell us more !
We met at Salone del Mobile 2019 Exhibition and immediately we had an extraordinary alchemy. We share the same approach to the luxury world.
How will your project change the landscape of interiors in Nigeria
Our company provides a 360-degree activity on any house environments, offering a total customization of the spaces: from the living areas, to wellness and dehors, we are able to deliver turnkeys projects made to meas-ure for each of our clients. This is the piece of news, compared to local retailers that sell the single product which then must be put in dialogue with different brands. Therefore, our store is a unique entity on the Nigerian market, there is also the possibility of having a confer-ence room that puts the customer in direct dialogue with the creative direction and production in Italy. Uniqueness, contemporary style and a vocation for production Made in Italy are the fundamental values of our brand, which has succeeded in rapidly conquering leadership on the international luxury design scene by offering a luxury total look, with customised details. Visionnaire now has a collection of over 2500 products: due to the collaboration of a team of expert, eclectic and visionary Italian and foreign designers, it offers itself as an ideal partner for bespoke luxury furnishings in private and contract contexts, in luxury hotels and in the yachting and aviation sec-
tors. Visionnaire, thanks to the character of its way of working, has contributed in a significant way to renew the parameters involved in the definition of luxury in the field of contemporary furnishings. The company’s work has suggested going back to question the timeliness of certain terms like “decor” or “ornament,” key expressions through which people have always measured and described the type of style a society recognizes as appropriate to de ne its tastes, to respond to its needs and set the tone of its time. We cherish a concept of luxury based on the painstaking search for the nest materials, unique and rare in their specificity, further enhanced by the skillful and at times novel approach to their workmanship, assembly and finishing. But we also nurture a sincere, deep desire to associate the objective material richness of our solutions with an unmistakable added value offered by meaningful content and newly tuned sensibility, attributing an in neatly precious status to the creation of artifacts with which to establish a direct relationship, a contact of intimate, everyday a action that can generate an authentic sense of personal wellbeing. The wealth of Visionnaire is not a temporary dazzlement channeled by passing fashions, but an ode to magnificence capable of lasting in time, with the ambition of becoming a timeless and therefore always timely classic. The luxury we love is the result of the virtuous harmony between and with our other values: because there is no material more precious than the respect for nature, culture and the legacy of know-how expressed in our work.
You are possibly the first premium brand to invest and open a Mansion ! is this new Mansion same as all Mansions around the world and are you planning further expansions ?
Visionnaire, a reference brand in top of the range Made in Italy interior design, now operates in over 55 coun-tries with a chain of 30 single-brand stores and a large network of selected luxury multi-brand and department stores all over the world. This is the first “Visionnaire Maison» in Africa, we have high expectations from this pro-ject knowing that we have so much potential; also because even before the advent of this store, the market became familiar with us in Europe, this is the reason why there are several properties on the territory with our furniture purchased in the major European capitals.
When will your Visionnaire Mansion be ready to receive customers ?
In March 2021
Please explain ideas behind the different names for your spaces, like Mansion ?
Visionnaire Maision» are the medium and large self-standing stores that offer a wide display of products and also have interior design service. Instead, we call «boutiques» the stores with a more retail approach, which are usually inside the furniture malls.
The continent is crying out for real investment, there are rich clients with top disposable income, but yet too much of this is spent in Europe. Do you have any comments about how this might begin to change ? Why are so many Nigerians still buying furniture in Milan, London and Dubai ?
This has been the situation until today because we were lacking a store in the nation. The Mansion in Abuja will change this scheme: customers will have the possibility to reach the store easily and the service they will expe-rience will be equal to what we can offer in our flagship store in Milan, for example, they will not only have the access to the product but also to the entire design service. In particular, the possibility of having all the services related to installation, assistance and warranty extension.
other luxury furniture brands ? What are you doing to contain this ?
Unfortunately, the problem of imitations affects the Italian design industry overall and it can hardly be stopped. The company aims to make products with certified materials and controlled emissions, these products are not harmful to health and respect the environment. The fake market does not follow these behavior rules. Moreover, like other luxury brands in the fashion sector are already doing, our products are under-tagged with microchips, this system enables the customer to get in direct contact with a dedicated service based in the Italian headquarters. Visionnaire believes in the quality of the inimitable. To concentrate on the imagining and subsequent imple-mentation of every single object, honing it down to the smallest details, with the dedication and precision usually applied only to the most important projects. This is the approach with which Visionnaire resolves the paradox of the single-multiple, expressing a credo that goes beyond the idea of distinction between “one-o ” and “multiple,” positioning unique craftsmanship and serial production at opposite poles of material produc-tion and reproduction. Our “fabrication” explores and asserts an idea of repeatable uniqueness, a singularity that is multiplied, keep-ing the same contents of quality and value intact in each single piece. Every of our creations is unique, inimi-table, unmistakable, exceptional, although it is made in identical specimens of reiterated types. There are no copies of an ideal original, but exemplars crafted with the same maniacal attention to detail that goes into the making of an individual masterpiece. Visionnaire creates ambitious models that incorporate characteristics of absolute specificity: the precious quality of the selected materials – often unique in their own right – is joined by the precision of sartorial workmanship that leads to the formulation of a high-end product. The uniqueness of our creative and productive action takes on exceptional connotations within the specific ability to orchestrate complete environments, totally custom made: it is in these projects that Visionnaire demonstrates the extraordinary individuality of its offerings, an effective and original combination of the nest craftsmanship and industrial expertise .
Africans are very eager to rebuild their societies and appreciate the brands who invest, how do you con-tinue to build on your pioneer status ?
The intention of Visionnaire is to interpret the contemporary world through a gradual synthesis of forms. The new range of products and accessories, which always stand out for their fine workmanship, exceptional materials and light geometric construction, reveal a unique line of expressive evolution that interprets the term “luxury” in new and more meaningful ways. Visionnaire prepares its approach to upcoming challenges with the idea of setting off on a new, even more ambitious journey, relying on the results achieved and applying its experience to formulate a clear vision of the immediate future. Also thanks to the decision – perceived as a true necessity that could no longer be postponed – to reveal its strategic orientations through the statements of intent contained in the “Deca-logue, the Brand has plotted its course: the idea of acting as the creators of products of absolute quality is joined by a rigorous, responsible commitment to take care of the environment. In the second value of the “Decalogue” – “Nature” – Visionnaire states: “the desire to safeguard our natural heritage takes the form of vital awareness that informs and orients
our cultural vision, focusing on aspects of design behavior that take on the value of theoretical gestures and practices useful to express a precise, perceptible civil commitment, from the selection of materials all the way to the finishing touches of the manufacturing cycle.” Visionnaire has been ISO 9001 certified since 2011 and this year is obtaining FSC™ Forest Stewardship Council and PEFC™ Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification to demonstrate its loyalty in achieving the global goal to di-rect the market towards a responsible management of forest heritage.
Do you have any brand theme about Africa currently? Do you have plans to gear up on this sometime in the future ? It is also very well received internationally.
In our future collections, Africa will undoubtedly have an increasing influence on our creative direction. For us, Africa is a source of inspiration for the positive values of sharing and for the beauty of nature. Already, the 2020 collection wants to be a tribute to this extraordinary country. The capsule collection designed by Mauro Lipparini , presented during one of three live shows streamed in June from the former cinema Cavour, now Visionnaire’s flagshisptore in Milano, It is a tribute to Africa. From his Florentine studio overflowing with Japanese atmospheres, the architect set off on a creative and metaphorical journey, landing deep in Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, he has touched the “almost disarming beauty” of the world’s navel — the one of tribal tattoos and vibrant colors — but also the primordial balance between the poles of existence, like the male principle (including chiaroscuro and vigorous lines) and that of the female (curved and gentle lines). Materials, colors, finishes, contrasts: it all recalls the African inspiration for Mauro Lipparini’s capsule collection, which offers original solutions for the entrance, living area, dining room, and bedroom. “I like the idea of a culture of dreams, of the imaginary, of deep Africa, a new force, inspirational, and magnetic,” explained the architect. “Signs and designs that approach an ancestral dimension, rediscovering the pleasure of the singularity of diversity. “Osborne” it is a project that represents the evolution of boiserie, a wall-system flaunting numerous functions that is presented as a tailored yet performing wall unit. Amber and luminous, at the confines between interior design and architecture, the Osborne wall unit is a second skin that reveals a tribal aesthetic. With a standard height of 260 cm, the undulated forms create functional shelves, while a vein of metal runs along the sides and the section of shelves, speckling the structure in African Eucalyptus Frisè with a reflection of light. Under the shelves, downward facing LED lights underline and punctuate the shelves.
We know that you like your interiors or homes to always have wellness elements, can you expand on for potential Visionnaire clients
The inspiration that guides the stylistic definition of our interiors is the desire to combine the aesthetic en-hancement of the environment with functional needs. We study ad hoc projects able to excite and at the same time convey a profound sense of wellbeing for those who live in the house. Our offer includes the furnishings designed for typical living environments such as the living room, the dining area, the sleeping area, the kitchen and the areas dedicated to entertainment (cinema room and music room); as well as environments dedicated to the personal care and well-being, including the installation of hypersalinizzate bathtub, criosauna, purple effect, thanks to the agreements that we have made with technical players of the fitness and wellness area.
Once the pandemic is clearly over when will we have the pleasure to welcome you to Nigeria “ the mother country “
As soon as possible! Nigeria will certainly be one of my first destinations as soon as travel restrictions will be eased. I look forward to meeting Visionnaire customers from our near future to create and design with them their dream house.
How is Visionnaire managing the pandemic crisis , will it slow down your plans and when do you expect to be fully running 100%
We have had production restrictions for seven weeks, however, we have been 100% productive since the beginning of May. Paradoxically, the pandemic situation has generated a significant increase in the demand, especially among high-spending customers. The fact of not being able to move a lot made the improvement of our home an indispensable priority, for this reason carrying out with more impetus the construction sites of the main villas, houses on which today there is the maximum concentration of expenditure. A strong customi-zation is increasingly required, and Visionnaire is at the very top of the most wanted brands.
