10 years of existence – is it much for a brand? Nowadays it really is. At today’s highly competitive global market, brands are emerging and disappearing all the time. Bellavista Collection, now a well-known manufacturer of Italian luxury furniture, turns 10 this year. The brand came into existence in 2010, during Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Since then, iSaloni has been much more than just a trade fair for Bellavista Collection.
Where Bellavista Came From
Actually, this brand, which is a brainchild of Attilio and Fabrizio Zanni, owes a considerable part of its success to its mother company named Casa Zeta. This family-owned Italian furniture producing firm is more than three decades old: Casa Zeta was founded in 1984. So, no wonder that after sprouting from this company, the newly created brand kept some valuable traits of a well-organized family business.
Bellavista made a good start because Casa Zeta nurtured the new brand, giving it a secure foundation: the production facility and the close-knit team of seasoned professionals from Casa Zeta became a part of Bellavista Collection.
What is more, six years before Bellavista was formed, in 2004, Casa Zeta participated in Milan Furniture Salon and scored a success, displaying pieces designed by Attilio Zanni. This extremely gifted all-round designer later became a co-founder of the new brand, together with his brother Fabrizio.
This success at the most prestigious trade fair by all means motivated Zanni brothers to create a brand name of their own. So, in 2010 a cherry-picked collection of Italian luxury furniture pieces was exhibited under the new name.
Years of Steady Growth
Attilio Zanni has been designing the vast majority items from Bellavista Collection ever since. This designer has been always focused on creating timeless beauty rather than following fashion trends. Consequently, when you browse Bellavista Collection’s website, it isn’t always possible to tell whether the items you see are new ones or date back to 2010. And that’s great: Bellavista’s pieces never go out of fashion and always remain beautiful.
However, there are two groups of items that occupy separate sections of the brand’s website: recent pieces in ‘What’s New’ and 12 items of Dulcechina collection.
But all in all, bestsellers remain bestsellers whenever they are designed. For example, here are the ones created a decade ago: DARIUS coffee table, AIDA and RIGOLETTO mirrors, PURO sofa and ELIZABETH console – to name a few.
2011 replenished Bellavista’s assortment with BONAPARTE and AMBROSS coffee tables, GRACE armchair, and many other remarkable items. Some of them are the result of Bellavista’s cooperation with award-winning foreign designers – like HOLE, a somehow eccentric-looking side table, designed by Ilan Waisbrod, a talented Israeli-born designer.
Also, the year 2011 was marked with the publishing of the first Bellavista’s catalog with all the pieces available by that moment.
In 2012, Bellavista applied a fresh approach to presenting its showpieces: for the first time, the brand’s exhibitor booth resembled a fully furnished room. Among the exhibits of 2012 were PHILIPPE sideboard, ALIBABA coffee table, MESAMAGNA dining table, BICE chair, VELAS chandelier, TOSCA floor lamp, MARCANTONIO nightstand FLOWER panel picture, NISHA bed, BRIGITTA and FENICE boiserie.
In 2013, Bellavista showcased a row of Bellavista’s pieces styled à la Française. Design of JOSEPHINE sofa, AMELIE table lamp, TULIPE table, ODETTE bench, BOUQUET BOIS coffee table had a noticeable French accent – an inimitable fleur of elegance, sophistication, and good taste.
2014 editions of iSaloni and Maison&Objet saw an impressive collection of Bellavista’s pieces, which demonstrated how masterly the natural beauty of wood can be revealed (it’s a typical feature of Attilio Zanni’s designs). Also, in many pieces wood was combined with metal and marble, which is also among characteristics of Bellavista’s design.
MADLEINE LEATHER and MADLEINE WOOD sofas; THOMAS dining table and TOM coffee table with an optional chess board inset; PISOLO bed, CHANEL cabinet, CORINNE dining chair, LYDIE sideboard, PIGALLE bookcase, ELECTRA chandelier, HIM bar unit, ROSE panel picture… It’s just a small part of the pieces created in 2014.
2015 replenished the brand’s inventory with MONTMARTRE sideboard, ANGELINA dining chair, ARTHUR bench, DANTE desk, COURCHEVEL coffee table, MY DISHES chandelier, and many other great pieces. Besides, in 2015 Bellavista adopted a new extremely attractive dark finish named Nero Bellavista.
2016 became a special year for Bellavista Collection: the brand got a new brand identity: the distinctive style we recognize this brand by, dates back to this year. Among the items ‘born’ in 2016 are SAN FRANCISCO dining table, SAN FRANCISCO COFFEE TABLE; GRACE WOOD sofa, MASARYK chair, and 4STAGIONI (which means ‘Four seasons’) table lamp.
2017 brought LUIS cabinet and GEORGE V sofa, both fit for a king; CORVETTE credenza, STRAPP coffee table, MEDEA bookcase, MAFALDA armchair, to name a few.
2018 collection is so special that it was placed into a separate section of the brand’s website. All these items still are bestsellers. Inspired by ever-charming Orient, Dulcechina collection scored a remarkable success at both trade fairs in 2018. 12 out of 20 interesting newly created items showcased at Salone del Mobile-2018 belonged to this collection.
For iSaloni 2019, Bellavista Collection prepared showpieces united under a quite different general idea: Dolce vita. This concept is quite difficult to formulate, but it’s understood all over the world since the times when “La dolce vita” movie was shot. It’s all about the very special atmosphere, which brilliant Federico Fellini had managed to capture. Even now, decades after, traits of that time’s design make many people feel a bit nostalgic.
Four room sets, fully furnished with showpieces, made Bellavista’s booth look and feel like a luxury home. VENICE bed, LILLIGRE bench, MIAMI nightstands, MI-SERVO valet and AGATA sconce were displayed in a bedroom area. QUATTRO PASSI dining table and BRISTOL chairs were placed in a dining area, and two chic-looking versions of TUDOR sideboard – TUDOR Bar and TUDOR Jewels – were attention-grabbers in the area furnished as a living-room.
Design of that year’s exhibits – ADALPINA floor lamp, PAC MAN coffee table, AVUELA and MATILDE sofas – is definitely contemporary, but somehow it reminds of the times when Dolce vita was a buzz word.
The Year of Serious Challenges: 2020
The beginning of 2020 became a challenge to the entire global economy due to COVID-19. High-end furniture making (not to mention lots of other industries) has greatly suffered from the pandemic. As you know, Bellavista Collection had to put production on hold in April. However, everything that could be done online is being done: Bellavista’s website is fully operational, and customers can order everything they wish. When COVID-19 pandemic dies down (it will be so, sooner or later), Bellavista Collection will produce and deliver all the pieces ordered during this tough period.
The danger of COVID-19 turned out so grave that Salone Internazionale del Mobile has been cancelled – for the first time since 1961. But there is a silver lining: the next edition of the Salone, which will take place between 13 and 18 April 2021, will host all the bi-annual collateral events simultaneously – for the first time since 1961.
You can be sure that Bellavista Collection will prepare special collections for this very special trade event.