Fornasetti’s surreal prints adorn Poltrona Frau’s ‘Vanity Fair’ chair

Fornasetti and Poltrona Frau join forces on a new edition of the iconic ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, featuring the designer's distinctive prints in black and white on Frau leather. The ‘Vanity Fair XC Imagine Reality Edition’ will make its debut during Salone del Mobile 2024 as an edition of 50, with Fornasetti's motifs digitally printed on Pelle Frau Impact Less.

The new chair is also part of Poltrona Frau's upcoming Imagine collection, a mission for the Italian company to expand its creative horizons beyond conventional furniture design in collaboration with global creatives, following collections by Savile Row designer Ozwald Boateng and Spanish artist Felipe Pantone. 

Poltrona Frau Fornasetti collaboration

A 1930 design by Renzo Frau, the ‘Vanity Fair’ features a distinctive arched back and a design that is classic yet timeless, also thanks to Roberto Lazzeroni's update in 2020, on the occasion of the chair's 90th anniversary. 

'As Poltrona Frau expands its horizons into the lifestyle realm, no brand makes better sense to partner with than Fornasetti – especially to mark the launch of our 2024 Imagine collection,' says the company's CEO, Nicola Coropulis. 'Founded in the 1940s by Piero Fornasetti and now led by his son, Barnaba, 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.'

Founded in the 1940s, Fornasetti's fantasy world merges classical iconography with architectural motifs, often rendered in black and white and with a tongue in cheek approach. For the ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, Barnaba Fornasetti dug into his archives and selected two illustrations depicting a sun and a moon rising over swirling clouds.

'Even as a young child, people used to tell me that I had my head in the clouds,' says Barnaba Fornasetti. '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. Then, as if by magic, I met with Poltrona Frau and I was fascinated by this company that manages to combine manual craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology. It was a chance to revisit my youth and return to the clouds, yet another example of "practical madness".'

Vanity Fair XC Imagine Edition is available in Europe, for purchase online from poltronafrau.com