Poltrona Frau and Fornasetti Continue With Their Collaboration to Present Re-Editions of the Iconic 1919 Armchair

Following its debut during Milan Design Week 2025, the exclusive collaboration between Poltrona Frau and Fornasetti is now being unveiled for the first time in Dubai. This much-anticipated presentation introduces two distinctive re-editions: the iconic 1919 armchair and the Isidoro trunk-bar, both upholstered in Pelle Frau ColorSphere Impact Less leather and adorned with the evocative Ultime Notizie pattern from the Fornasetti archive.

Following the successful 2024 re-edition of the iconic Poltrona Frau Vanity Fair XC armchair, reinterpreted in the Vanity Fair XC Imagine Edition, with a limited production of 50 pieces that was an immediate sellout, the collaboration now continues with a duo of particularly captivating statement products

First up is the 1919 armchair, a historic bergère style in capitonné leather originally designed by the company’s founder Renzo Frau; featured in the catalogue for over a century, this classic embodies the very essence of Poltrona Frau’s expertise. Second is a legendary product that evokes the golden years of the decadent Roaring Twenties, the era of Prohibition, of Great Gatsby parties and lengthy intercontinental journeys on luxurious transatlantic liners: the Isidoro trunk-bar.

The Isidoro trunk, which serves as an exquisite drinks cabinet, originally designed by Jean- Marie Massaud in 2007, exemplifies the top-end craftsmanship and Italian creativity inherent in both brands: the elegant finishes are in Walnut-stained wood, while the interior and exterior components are covered in precious Pelle Frau ColorSphere Impact Less leather printed with UItime Notizie decorative motive, one of the most iconic patterns in the Fornasetti archive. Created in 1950 by Piero Fornasetti as a print design for a silk fabric, in 2003 UItime Notizie was reissued and modified by his son Barnaba for the kitchen furnishings in Casa Fornasetti, the historic family residence in Milan. A kaleidoscope of butterflies flutter over a backdrop of multilingual news clippings.

A playful trompe-l’oeil, an essential component of Fornasetti’s visual poetry which we now find in the Pelle Frau ColorSphere Impact Less upholstery of the 1919 armchair and of the Isidoro trunk. The observer is invited to visualise actively and imaginatively: the leather resembles paper and , originally, this paper was designed to be printed on a fabric.

The message concealed in this decoration, engraved on the 1919 tray and on the plaque applied to the Isidoro trunk-bar, is perfectly summed up by Barnaba Fornasetti: “Don’t dwell on the news, because the news is fleeting.”

The 1919 armchair, with a supporting structure in solid seasoned beech, is a comfortable, generously-proportioned bergére, intricately hand-upholstered to culminate in the finely- pleated scrolls of the armrests and the famous padded capitonné motif of the backrest.

With shelves, drawers and bottle racks the Isidoro drinks cabinet, 117cm (46 inches) high, tastefully mixes aesthetics and functionality, re-editing itself into a furnishing item with a vibrant visual impact and a newfound modernity.

“Ultime notizie – Latest news from Fornasetti in Wonderland: Thinking with your hands, who better than Poltrono Frau to develop this concept and bring it to life with an armchair upon which, as soon as I sit, I begin to dream? Comfort is a passionate embrace that inspired me to spread the news like a kaleidoscope of butterflies”. says Barnaba Fornasetti.

“Fornasetti and Poltrona Frau represent the quintessence of Italian artisan excellence” – explains Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau – “our partnership stemmed from a mutual sense of quality, research and creativity. Therefore, it seemed natural for us to continue along the same path to offer our customers two objects thot fully portray our concept of contemporary elegance”.

The re-editions of the iconic 1919 armchair and Isidoro bar cabinet, created in collaboration with Fornasetti, are now part of the Poltrona Frau collection. A limited selection will be available from Tuesday, June 24 at Poltrona Frau’s Dubai stores – Jumeirah and Mall of the Emirates – including two 1919 armchairs and two Isidoro trunks. An additional two trunks and four armchairs are expected to arrive later this year.