Toogood x Poltrona Frau

SQUASH

“I’m thinking of this collection as English Folk with Italian Horsepower.” Faye Toogood

Imagine Softness, Imagine Boldness, Imagine Playfulness. Poltrona Frau’s first collaboration with Toogood’s irresistible creativity oozes confidence, it entices with effortless elegance.

With their first collaboration, Poltrona Frau and Toogood redefine luxury. For over a century Poltrona Frau has pioneered leather craft – now trademarked as Poltrona Frau Leathership®. The powerful tool of Imagination has brought these two extraordinary masters together to envision the new Poltrona Frau Imagine Collection. A collective contemplation, an appraisal of the past and an interpretation of the present, to launch towards the future with a bold vision.

The collaborative collection is titled Squash. A playful and sensual name that reflects Faye Toogood’s soft, sculptural approach to furniture design.

Squash proposes a modern statement of effortless elegance. Supple lines and relaxed upholstery subvert stuffy ideas of formal furniture. The collection looks as comfortable as it feels. Each piece captures a spontaneous gesture: like the piled-up cushions of the Squash side table, or loose and hand-painted motifs of the chequerboard rugs.

This collaboration with Toogood is the new chapter of 2024 Imagine Collection: Poltrona Frau’s ongoing commitment to boundless creativity and extraordinary design. Squash eases nonchalantly into the Imagine Softness theme of the collection, confident in the belief that Imagination enhances the comfort and quality of our daily existence.

SQUASH ARMCHAIR, OTTOMAN AND SIDE TABLE

Poltrona Frau were searching for a new concept of armchair. Something bold, contemporary and above all - comfortable.

“The collaboration began with the Squash armchair – the heroine piece of the collection” Faye Toogood explains. “We started with a trip to the incredible Poltrona Frau factory and archive in Tolentino, Italy. I discovered, and really connected with pieces they had created in the 1970s. Super bold, surprising shapes. Poltrona Frau make all of the leather interiors for Ferrari, and you can see an obsessive level of detail in all of their work.”

During her trip to Italy, Faye found the first Vanity Fair from the thirties by Renzo Frau in red leather. “I also loved Poltrona Frau’s iconic Vanity Fair from the Thirties in lipstick red. Straight away I knew I wanted to honour these archive colours and respond with a contemporary shape that met their boldness. It feels very refreshing to make a chair in such a strong, saturated shade.” Poltrona Frau uses a 23-step tanning process meaning the leather is dyed through and surface scratches will not reveal the lining underneath. Each piece uses a monochromatic palette of two tonal leathers.

The leather of Squash is wrinkled, giving it movement and malleability. “The pieces embrace you, there’s nothing rigid about them” - Faye Toogood.

Alongside the Squash armchair are a matching ottoman and upholstered side table. The side table plays with the image of a soft cushion squashed between two harder blocks.

‘Faye Toogood stands out as one of the most captivating figures in contemporary creativity, distinguished by her unparalleled and curious multidisciplinary approach to the art of design. We discovered a shared foundation with Toogood, rooted in a profound appreciation for raw materials, sculptural forms, and impeccable craftsmanship.

Squash armchair piece encapsulates everything that characterizes Toogood's refined and visionary art—an exuberant creation that transcends time, seemingly belonging to a future era that defies definition.

It effortlessly evokes feelings of comfort, innovation, and forward-thinking creativity, all ensconced in a cocoon of leather, epitomizing the essence of a Poltrona Frau armchair.

I already foresee it becoming an iconic addition to our portfolio, akin to the impact of our Vanity Fair and Archibald models in the past yet projecting forward into the future. Comments Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau.

SQUASH MIRROR

Squash features a trio of leather upholstered mirrors, echoing the organic lines of the armchair. Smooth, hard glass is cushioned in tactile, curving frames. The largest mirror in the collection is full length and can be free-standing or wall mounted, the medium mirror is wall-mountable, and the smallest is a pocket-sized compact.  All the frames are upholstered in Poltrona Frau SC leather in colours chosen by the designer from the Pelle Frau ColorSphere®: Panna/Shara/Steel Blue/Mineral Blue/Siam/Garnet.

“I wanted to bring some of my own heritage to the collaboration, and so you’ll find details that nod to English Folk Art. The idea to create leather mirrors was my personal response to early English leather folk work. A conversation between something hard and something soft.” – Faye Toogood.

SQUASH RUG

Hand painting is one of Toogood’s most distinctive trademarks. The rhythm and imperfections of a drawn line or painted stroke capture the pulse of creativity and offer a direct connection to the artist. In the Squash collection there are two rug styles featuring a checkerboard pattern inspired by old English patchwork chairs. Each square was hand painted, and this artwork was translated into textiles using the traditional Berber knotting technique. The Squash rug is handmade in Pakistan, and is available in two sizes (240x340 and 250x250cm) and in two variants of Blue and Brown. Natural dyes and natural fibers replicate hand painting in the closest way, and the deep pile and fuzzy threads evoke the blended look of brushstrokes.

All pieces are available for purchase at poltronafrau.com

Milan Design Week
16th-21st April
Via Manzoni 30
20121 Milan