Founded in 1966 by Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B Italia has become one of the leading design legacy brands in the world thanks to its association with the most prestigious design minds of our time. As a result of collaborations with the likes of Antonio Citterio, Piero Lissoni, Gaetano Pesce, Patricia Urquiola and many others, the brand has enabled the creations of iconic products and collections.
In addition to its own offerings, today the B&B Italia universe has expanded to include the brands Flos, Louis Polsen, Maxalto, Arclinea, Azucena, Fendi Casa, Audo, and Lumens, and it brings them to consumers via mono-brand and specialized stores around the world, as well as through its flagships in Europe and the United States. Joining that latter group this spring is Naples with a B&B Italia showroom at 470 Bayfront Place. The 500-square-foot location will focus on the entire B&B Italia line as well as offerings from Maxalto, Arclinea, Azucena, and Flos.
“Our inspiration was Via Durini, the famous design street in Milan,” says owner John Marquette. “This is just the beginning of a much larger concept for the area.”
This “larger concept” is expected to resemble Marquette’s 4141 Design center in Miami’s Design District, more than 20,000 square feet of different brand showrooms dedicated to Italian design from the aforementioned B&B Italia lines as well as many others. Time will tell what his Gulf Coast version of 4141 will entail.
All this begs the question: Is conservative Naples ready for B&B Italia’s forward-thinking design? “We’ve been working on the Naples market for more than six years with local designers and have found that most of these lines have a great crossover thanks to their modern yet warm aesthetic,” says Marquette. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Story Credits:
Text by Christopher Day
Photos courtesy of B&B Italia
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