For Bellavista Collection, the year 2020 is special – in all senses. The tenth year of the brand’s existence turned out to be challenging indeed… alas, not only for Bellavista Collection.
The notorious COVID-19 pandemic caused a severe economic recession all over the world. To prevent COVID- 19 from spreading, about a half of the world’s population – more than three billion people – were asked or ordered to stay at home worldwide. The regime and term of the lockdown varied, but anyway, all affected countries faced severe economic consequences.
According to the World Bank’s June 2020 Global Economic Prospects, the global economy is likely to decrease by 5.2% this year, which is in fact the deepest recession since the World War II.
The italian economy was hit by the corona crisis particularly hard. Being a purely Italian brand, Bellavista Collection faced the same challenges as thousands of other firms in lots of industries in this country.
What was 2020 like for Bellavista brand? Winter brought bad news and uncertainty, followed by spring, with the strict quarantine and ceased production. The 59th edition of Salone Internazionale del Mobile was postponed, to be soon cancelled altogether – for the first time ever since 1961. Summer also was a tricky time for the brand – well, almost any Italian business could say the same.
So, it is clear that autumn and winter 2020 won’t be easy as well. The pandemic itself hasn’t ended yet, so overall consumer activity, and demand for Italian luxury furniture in particular, unsurprisingly is lower than usual.
But nothing lasts forever. The country has been recovering from the decline. Bellavista Collection not only survived – in spite of terminated production, new pieces were being created incessantly even during the quarantine. Attilio Zanni, Bellavista’s genius of a designer, did his best to make the anniversary collection really exceptional.
The year 2020 also brought new materials and finishes, successfully applied in the pieces designed in 2020.
The New Collection
Devoted to Beauty of Nature, it stands out even among gorgeous collections from previous years.
Although Nature has always been an infinite source of inspiration for Attilio Zanni, this year celebrating natural beauty became the key idea that united all the pieces. It becomes obvious when you look at any of them.
For example, here are a cabinet named TREE and the same-named bar unit. The surface of their outer doors looks spectacular indeed, thanks to the contrasting combination of natural wood texture and a new finish called ‘Nuances Bellavista Collection’. For both these pieces, there are two such finishes available: matte lacquer and glossy lacquer Nuances Bellavista Collection, both introduced in 2020. The strip of wood at a finished background looks a lot like a tree trunk.
Also, if you compare two round coffee tables from 2020 collection – CHAMPIGNON and FILIBERTO – you’ll see that their design was definitely inspired by natural motifs. Although their outline is a bit similar – both are round with one thick leg – these tables are quite different. Just look at the purposefully simplified mushroom-like design of CHAMPIGNON – and at sophisticated tabletop of FILIBERTO, skillfully composed of the pieces of wood, so that their grain makes up a beautiful pattern. Each of these items celebrates the beauty of Nature in its own way – just like all Bellavista’s 2020 collection.
Although these showpieces weren’t exhibited at live trade events this year, nothing prevented the brand from displaying new items on the brand’s website, in ‘What’s New’ section. You are welcome to browse through them and enjoy the fruits of the designer’s brilliant talent.
But anyway, it isn’t like seeing the pieces in real life. While looking at images on a web page, you cannot touch them, feel the texture of natural wood, metal, fabric, or leather. It is not a secret that people prefer to pick new furniture in a real store or at exhibition grounds. There’s a special pleasure in walking through the premises, gazing at an assortment, imagining how these pieces would look in your home. You can sit down in a chair, making sure it’s comfy. You can check the springs of a sofa or a couch.
No wonder that many Bellavista’s customers from all over the world went to Bellavista’s headquarters, located in the province of Brescia, not far from Milan, to visit its showroom and take a look at the pieces before buying.
But then there was the quarantine. For long months people were deprived of the opportunity to see Bellavista’s exhibition space, but now the situation is about to change. The showroom is being prepared to display new items and will soon open its doors to prospective customers.
The Exhibition Grounds
The main showroom occupies 480 square meters on the first floor in the company’s headquarters. It’s located close to the production site and offices (which have been recently renovated, by the way).
The spacious exhibition area is split into smaller spaces, furnished like rooms. Large windows give plenty of natural light, and wall paneling made of wood or fabric make the premises feel almost like a real home. Although Bellavista Collection mainly specializes in manufacturing Italian luxury furniture, it also produces a wide variety of boiserie, lighting fixtures, and decorative items, so the display, which consists solely of pieces from Bellavista Collection, looks and feels complete.
In addition to main showroom at the first floor there is also the entry floor area with a bedroom area, a dining area and two living areas of the exposition that leave an impression of a luxuriously furnished apartment. In fact, it resembles Bellavista’s exhibitor booths at trade events.
But from the showroom and the trade events there are two differences, though: first, unlike trade fairs, it’s a permanent exhibition. Second, in this showroom customers can see pieces designed years ago, in addition to the recently created ones. Bellavista’s display at trade events contains a part of new items – simply because of the lack of space.
So, the good news is that the entire 2020 collection will soon be exhibited in the brand’s showroom for the first time ever, due to cancel this year’s trade fairs.
The works are in full swing.
