Presenting Italy

When Giampiero Di Persia says he was almost born on a Poltrona Frau sofa, he’s not being facetious. Fifty some-odd years ago, Di Persia’s very pregnant mother was relaxing with her husband, watching television in her home in Rome, when the little one decided it was time to come into the world.

It was a fitting entry for him, and it seems to have ultimately defined his life. Today, he is the CEO of Poltrona Frau Miami and Cappellini Miami, which exist in part due to his dedication to the brand that was founded in Torino, Italy, in 1912. Since its beginnings, Poltrona Frau has grown into an international conglomerate still owned by the family whose name is synonymous with only the very best. Whether one is referring to the classic pieces of furniture by the world’s top designers, the special contract projects, or the unique Poltrona Frau leather, which goes through a patented 21-step process before being deemed worthy enough to adorn one of the designs, when the name “Poltrona” is uttered, one assumes a certain level of excellence.

Italians have been aware of this for generations. But as little as 10 years ago, the name hadn’t quite penetrated the minds of those in North America yet. “The company is very well known in Europe,” explains Di Persia, “but it was not recognized in the U.S. However, a certain level of people have always been familiar with Poltrona Frau leather without even realizing it. Our leather is our signature, and Poltrona Frau upholsters all of the Ferraris, the Bugattis, the high-end Mercedes and BMWs, the first class of Air Italia, Quantas, Singapore Airlines, the public areas of Norwegian Cruise, Royal Caribbean…” He trails off, but there is more. Poltrona Frau also provides the leather for the supped-up interiors of Maseratis, Lexuses, and Mini Coopers. The company also outfitted the Queen Mary 2, the Prada store in Tokyo, the first class seats of Japan Airlines, and the VIP lounges at the Adrienne Arsht Center here in Miami, to name but a few of the special projects. Poltrona Frau crafted the seating that Frank Gehry designed for his Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and also is behind the seating at the Paul Getty Hall in Los Angeles and Pierce Hall at Harvard University. Poltrona is again working with Gehry for the seating that is waiting to be installed in the new home of the New World Symphony currently under construction in Miami Beach. So, yes, a certain level of individual was familiar with Poltrona Frau long before the brand’s flagship stores landed on U.S. soil.

Di Persia began working with Poltrona Frau in 1998, when he was tapped to spearhead the company’s expansion into the U.S. through a consulting role. It wasn’t long before Poltrona Frau realized the breadth of his knowledge about the market, thanks to various roles Di Persia held as an importer/exporter, and he became its U.S.-based partner.

“I helped Poltrona set up the New York office,” Di Persia explains, “and helped them select the right people to run the business here in the U.S. I personally took care of distribution for the Southeast United States and Caribbean area.” What he realized was that, while Americans may have been familiar with the brand’s work, they weren’t necessarily familiar with the brand itself. “Poltrona Frau was in Miami for 12 years,” he explains, indicating that high-end furniture stores carried Poltrona products. “But no one recognized the brand, because even if it was in the best store, that store was selling the furniture, not the brand name.” A flagship showroom was needed.

In 2001, he opened the doors to Poltrona Frau Miami, the third dedicated showroom in the U.S., in the heart of the Design District, which at that time was still a bit of a dream in the mind of developer Craig Robins. “I met with Craig, and I saw that he was pretty clear about his vision for the Design District,” Di Persia recalls. “And he had all of the instruments to make it happen. I thought it would be advantageous for Poltrona Frau to be the first big and famous brand in the Design District.”

As fate would have it, the flagship locale, located on 39th Street, opened its doors just after September 11, but thanks to the enduring legacy of the brand, it not only survived but thrived. It also served as the catalyst for change in the District, as other well recognized names followed suit and opened up nearby, ultimately creating one of the country’s most celebrated enclaves of design.

And Poltrona Frau still stands as a beacon amidst the bevy of luxury brands. This stance was further elevated with the opening of its sister store Cappellini in October 2009. Giulio Cappellini is one of the world’s leaders in the art of furniture design; his funky and eclectic works are part of the permanent collections of top-tier museums in cosmopolitan cities around the globe, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art; Centre Pompidou and Musee Des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France; the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Köln, Germany; the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England; and the Galleria D’Arte Moderna in Rome. The Cappellini family first started their furniture business back in 1946, and Guilio joined the family venture in 1979. Today, Cappellini is part of the publically traded Poltrona Frau Group S.p.A., which was formed in 2004. It has since amassed a group of companies that makes it the world leader in the luxury furniture market, with prestigious brands Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Cappellini, Alias, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, Gufram, and Nemo under its umbrella.

Poltrona Frau and Cappellini are alike in quality but could not be more different aesthetically. While Poltrona Frau furniture is classic and timeless, Cappellini is bold and almost whimsical. But it works because “Cappellini is avant-garde,” as Giulio Cappellini explains. “Poltrona Frau is the modern concept of craftsmanship, and the two styles fit perfectly together.” Similar to how pieces by Poltrona Frau are designed by legends like Sir Norman Foster and Jean Marie Massaud, Cappellini pieces are the works of creative geniuses like Jasper Morison, Tom Dixon, Marc Newson, and Marcel Wanders. Giulio also embraces the work of up-and-coming designers for his line. “Normally, I try to find new unknown talents from all over the world,” he says. “I travel a lot, I am a visiting professor in many universities worldwide, so I have the opportunity to meet a lot of people. The first impression for me is very important, and I have to have the right feeling about a designer. The sensibility to design and innovate is very important.”

In the Design District, the two brands share a showroom; Cappellini’s new 2,200-square-foot flagship boutique is adjacent to the now 6,000-square-foot Poltrona Frau location, which serves as a large showroom representing both brands. The two styles manage to both complement and contrast one another; whereas Poltrona Frau’s half features subdued tones of gray, beige, and muted gold, Cappellini is bursting with vibrant fuchsias, blues, and reds. Poltrona Frau pieces are made by commission only (customers select a style and then choose from the 120 different colors of leather or fabric and stitching, and each piece is then made to order in the Italian factory), and many Cappellini items follow suit. However, Cappellini also features limited edition styles available immediately, but always in quantities less than 100. This limited-edition line is exemplified by a unique, one-of-a kind red-marked peacock chair by designer Dror Benshetrit, as well as the Big Shadow Lamp by Marcel Wanders, which Di Persia chose to situate next to the New Deal chair by Poltrona Frau for the Haute Living photo shoot.

The entire store is a haven for anyone seeking high-end design, no matter the style, which excites Di Persia to no end. He is borderline ecstatic when he talks about the strides that Poltrona Frau has made in the U.S., yet this is not his only current venture. He also runs Claudio Alaneta Productions, which deals with audio-visual products, and is behind the successful Italian Film Festival in Miami, Georgia, and Mexico. People throughout North America are reaping the benefits of his unwavering dedication to share the very best of his home country with the world.