Cover Bonaldo celebrates nearly a century of fine Italian furniture with the Architecture of Objects collection at the Modernbrands showroom (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
Bonaldo celebrates nearly a century of fine Italian furniture with the Architecture of Objects collection at the Modernbrands showroom (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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Italian furniture house Bonaldo marks its 90th anniversary with a new collection, highlighted at the Modernbrands Showroom
Ninety years ago, a blacksmith named Giovanni Bonaldo founded a workshop in Veneto, Italy, that specialised in metalwork. In the decades that followed, the atelier expanded its repertoire from bed frames to furniture, collaborating with world-renowned designers and visionaries. At the Modernbrands showroom, Bonaldo CEO Alberto Bonaldo heartily recalled his family’s legacy—and the significance behind the brand’s latest collection, the “Architecture of Objects.”
Pieces from the Italian furniture house were displayed across the Modernbrands showroom floor, highlighting the smooth, minimalist approach, as well as their mastery of materials, textures and sculpted forms.
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Above CEO Alberto Bonaldo at the fireside chat talks about the company's heritage and design philosophy (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
CEO Alberto Bonaldo at the fireside chat talks about the company's heritage and design philosophy (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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The afternoon’s charming host, Anne Gauthier, formally introduced third-generation CEO, Alberto Bonaldo. “I am proud that this year, we will celebrate the 90th year of the company,” Alberto enthused. He shared how his grandfather’s experience with metal laid the groundwork for the brand’s impeccable skill and technical prowess. Bonaldo’s advantages lie in its commitment to quality, from the materials they procure within northern Italy to their collaborations with partner designers.
Leonardo Grillo, Bonaldo’s export manager for the Asia Pacific, showcased the brand’s pieces from its latest collection. These include the Flatiron, designed by Mauro Lipparini. It is inspired by its building namesake in Manhattan, whose leg shape and thin frame recall the structure’s form. Another highlight is the Liaison by Spazio Ameno, a table influenced by secret encounters; the legs visually intersect but never physically connect, creating an intriguing aesthetic.
Above Bonaldo export manager for the Asia Pacific Leonardo Grillo discusses the latest collection (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
Bonaldo export manager for the Asia Pacific Leonardo Grillo discusses the latest collection (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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“We wanted to create a new product characterised by rounded shapes, organic shapes,” Grillo explained. This is perhaps best exemplified by the Aldebaran sofa, designed by Oscar and Gabriele Buratti. “It has rounded shapes in the arms and in the back corner,” he elaborates. “It has wide modularity, so you can create linear or corner compositions.” This philosophy also appears in the Blocco sideboard by Alain Gilles, characterised by its square edges.
A bold, dynamic Bonaldo
Above Square shapes softened by subtle curves are recognisable qualities of Bonaldo (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
Square shapes softened by subtle curves are recognisable qualities of Bonaldo (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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Despite Alberto's easygoing demeanor, he is fiercely passionate and serious about the brand’s continued excellence. This excellence, as it happens, is rooted in the importance of travel. “About 10 or 20 years ago, I spent more than half a year [travelling],” he explains. “It’s important that, when you travel, to understand the tendencies, how the market is going and what it needs. You bring home all this input and try to do something with it.” While now leading the company’s operations, Alberto still takes the time to closely coordinate with the brand’s partner designers, creative teams and researchers to ensure that each item from the design house is one it can be immensely proud of.
Above The Flatiron Table in New York (Photo: Pexels / Ra Fa)
Above Flatiron Table by Mauro Lipparini (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
The Flatiron Table in New York (Photo: Pexels / Ra Fa)
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At the sidelines of the event, Alberto elaborated further on Bonaldo’s Architecture of Objects collection and the brand’s current trajectory, pointing to the Flatiron as an example. “It’s a table with a really strong design, strong personality,” he said. “We try to do iconic pieces, but it’s not easy, but we are a young company [in] spirit. We are dynamic.”
“We have the courage to sometimes take a bit of risk, instead of doing something boring,” he elaborates. “Our target customers are those who are young, those who travel all over the world, those who are in movement. So we need to give them something with a lot of emotion.”
Above The Modernbrands showroom with the Bonaldo brand DNA (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
The Modernbrands showroom with the Bonaldo brand DNA (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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This is certainly true of the collection’s debut exhibition at Salone del Mobile Milano, which featured an expansive floor space to highlight each piece’s individuality through living areas and dining areas. Massimo Castagna, who designed the exhibition, also created pieces for the collection itself, such as the Grant sofa and the Aspen table. For visitors and guests to fully experience the extensive catalogue that featured several brilliant designers was a difficult task. “These different items needed to have dialogue with one another, and so you have to find some theme—this could be the colour, the finish, the material, the fabric or leather—so it means you need the expertise and the ability to research to create a link between them.”
Above Guests during the visit to the Modernbrands showroom (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
Guests during the visit to the Modernbrands showroom (Photo: courtesy of Modernbrands)
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While Bonaldo is celebrating its 90th anniversary, the brand shows no signs of slowing down, as they already have new boutiques slated for opening in Milan, Cairo, Madrid and Bangkok in the coming months. “What I hope for the 100th year,” Alberto muses, “is to open one in New York—to open a monobrand shop there would be a wonderful event, a wonderful opportunity.”
Visit modernbrandsinc.com to view the full collection of Bonaldo.
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About
Tobias wants to write things that make people think, laugh, and reflect. He’s especially proud when he can sneak in a cheeky pop-culture reference or a pun in his titles and articles.
He possesses a deep love of history, resulting from years of books, games, and museum visits. It was this fascination with the human endeavour that fostered his love of writing, spanning genres, tones, and moods. He one day hopes to write a novel—he just hasn't decided on a genre yet. A certified homebody, you'll often find him on the computer he built himself, binge-watching Seinfeld or House, playing his favourite gacha game, or reading a book.
Work
Tobias is a features writer that specialises in branded content. Reach out to him at tobias.tomas@tatlerasia.com.
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