people&OPINIONS
Gilberto Negrini & Piero Lissoni
CEO & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of B&B ITALIA
text by Manuela Di Mari
A NEW CEO AND A NEW ART DIRECTOR TO CONSERVE THE STYLISTIC CONSISTENCY OF A COMPANY THAT HAS MADE DESIGN HISTORY, PROJECTING IT INTO A FUTURE OF INNOVATION AND CONTEMPORARY FLAIR its growth, production that happens for the most part inside various plants, and the series of specialized craftsmen. I will follow the path already outlined, but in a more structured way, with a major retail growth plan based on new openings. The distribution channel in the world is a very strong one for B&B Italia, and the strategy is to reinforce retail operations in a very careful manner. Then there is the Contract division, where B&B Italia has been a pioneer, as one of the first companies to launch such an initiative. We want to grow more in this area as well.
Photo © Emilio Collavino
What are the objectives and guidelines of your work as CEO? My professional background has been in design companies, and I know how important it is to maintain a high level of quality, not just quantity. The two funds have clearly conveyed the concept that their reputation is based on making companies grow in a healthy way, providing the resources for this to happen, and I like this approach very much. There are strong points to be conserved, which are the product itself, a research center which is fundamental for
Speaking of the new art director, Piero Lissoni… He has been a friend of the company for many years, in an already existing relationship of collaboration. Having differentiated Maxalto, where the art director for many years has been Antonio Citterio (also of Arclinea), we required support on an equally high level for B&B Italia. Piero has approached this challenge with great enthusiasm, aware of the need to conserve the identity of the brand in a coherent way, a very delicate and fundamental operation for a company with such a distinctive personality. He has very clear ideas about where we should be heading. The operation has to be done on an all-around basis together with the company, from products to catalogues to showrooms... The Research & Development center is the core, connecting the various brands and their art directors. The proof lies in a total synergy, beyond the new product just launched, Noonu, an
We can see a focus on outdoor at the moment. What are you aiming for? It’s important to grow. The collection continues to expand every year, to live. So much so that we would like to make it become a brand with its own identity. Once again, B&B Italia was the first to create this niche design inside the company, almost 20 years ago, and this area has gradually revealed all of its potential, with sales reaching tens of millions of euros, which is not bad at all for a company not specializing in this field. But that is not an arrival point. Piero has designed a beautiful collection, Borea, and we will be presenting many new developments, new catalogues. We believe our stores should be the ambassadors of B&B Italia outdoor, with products that are synonymous with design, modernity and sustainability. The latter is a question we will be approaching in a very serious way, also in terms of our corporate structure. After the acquisition of Azucena in 2018, this brand has collaborated with Serapian. How is it inserted in the production? Azucena, a historic firm with very high design content, founded in 1947 by Caccia Dominioni, Gardella and Dell’Acqua, has been acquired as a strong point of the entire B&B Italia collection, a synonym of discreet elegance, rich in content, and it is a major added value for us. The collaboration with Serapian has happened with ease, and sums up shared values, because like Azucena the company stands out for excellence and craftsmanship, not to mention the fact that they were founded in the same year. We have personalized Catilina, the historic seating by Caccia Dominioni, with a mosaic texture, presented as a limited edition in the beautiful setting of Villa Mozart in Milan during the last fashion week. Putting two brands together is anything but a banal operation. They should be on equal footing.
MAXALTO collection
B&B ITALIA showroom, Miami
ARTE SURFSIDE residences, Miami
IFDM 22 April 2021
Photo © Kris Tamburello
Let’s backtrack: what has been the impact of the passage from the Busnelli family to the Design Holding fund? It has been a gradual, well-balanced passage. Also thanks to the entrepreneur, who stayed involved until my arrival one and a half years ago, and who wanted to lead the company towards an even more international project, with an even wider strategic vision. First, in 2015, there was the ceding of the majority share to the private equity fund Investindustrial, followed by the acquisition of Arclinea and Azucena. Then came the entry of Carlyle Group at 50% with Investindustrial, and hence the creation of Design Holding, of which Flos and Luis Poulsen, in addition to B&B Italia, are also a part. Everything was managed with extreme intelligence, respecting the strong, recognizable global identity of the brand.
What digital strategies are you activating? The most important change will be in the website, whose upgrade will be officially presented in May, and where Maxalto will have its own specific domain. This is an important message we want to convey, that of providing a distinctive identity to a brand that now reports over 40 million euros in annual sales. The sections of B&B Italia will also be completely renewed, more elegant, clean and easy to use, with a configurator to create your own domestic layouts, a part for consumers to interact directly with the company and to receive project support. A website that brings emotions, created together with our new art director.
important upholstered piece designed by Citterio for B&B Italia, whose launch has been coordinated by Lissoni in an exchange of ideas and opinions with Citterio himself.
