The Limited-Edition Chair Combining Craftsmanship and History in Italian Design

Milanese design house Fornasetti and historic furnishing brand Poltrona Frau come together in a celestial collaboration in the Vanity Fair XC Imagine Reality Edition armchair, the first partnership for the brands.

The original design by Piero Fornasetti in the 1950s—of a personified moon and sun surrounded by clouds—has been reimagined by his son and artistic director, Barnaba Fornasetti, as a digital print on leather, using a silk screen technique. As a child, Barnaba was told his head was in the clouds and even used an old print in his childhood bedroom for various designs.

“The sun, with its face and stylized rays, is one of the themes my father interpreted obsessively, to the point that it became a Fornasetti icon. When I sat on the Vanity Fair armchair, I felt like I was on a cloud and began to daydream. It was a chance to revisit my youth and return to the clouds,” Barnaba Fornasetti says.

At only 50 pieces, this exclusive decor item features a number on each, a signed certificate of authenticity wrapped in a leather clutch, and an embossed leather key chain.

The limited-edition chair will be showcased in the upcoming Milan Design Week 2024 and available at select Poltrona Frau stores April 10.