Important new developments for Visionnaire. The firm has opened its first Embassy in Hong Kong, in the Southern Island District, at 40 Shek Pai Wan Road, Tin Wan. The aim of the project is to offer clients a voyage in the Visionnaire universe, through encounters organized by appointment. The intimate atmosphere makes it possible to have a direct experience of the products and the sartorial care that sets this brand apart.
Leopold Cavalli, Brand Ambassador of Visionnaire, told us more about the project.
Why a Visionnaire Embassy? What’s the concept?
The goal of the Embassy is to offer clients an engaging, immersive experience, exclusively behind closed doors and by appointment, to guarantee a sartorial approach and maximum privacy.
What are the features of the space that differentiate it from a more traditional flagship store?
The Embassy sets out to become a true Visionnaire home, where the customer or the architect arrives by way of a strictly personal invitation, exactly like what happens in a home. The space has an area of 600 m2, on a single level, where the linguistic codes of the three latest collections – Greenery, Respiro and Anniversary – have been interpreted with a pertinent blend of iconic pieces: a meta-luxury concept developed through the use of precious materials, complex technological workmanship but light geometric lines and design, in carefully gauged proportions, reflecting the tailor-made approach of every product. Past the entrance, visitors are welcomed by a space full of natural light, thanks to large windows, leading to a voyage through the various collections, in a true 100% Visionnaire home where the different rooms form a unified dialogue – from the Kerwan and Opera dining areas designed by Alessandro La Spada to the living zone featuring the upholstered solutions of Bastian, Babylon and Backstage by Mauro Lipparini, Alessandro La Spada and Fabio Bonfà, all the way to the Reverie bedroom zone, and Emotion designed by Roberto Lazzeroni and La Conca. The settings also include the Kobol wellness area, enhanced by a selection of accessories from the latest capsule collection presented at the Salone del Mobile 2019, in dialogue with fine art by Michele Astolfi and lights by Marco Piva and Philippe Montels. The heart of the house is the Visionnaire Augustus kitchen by Mazza & Spada, a pure expression of the Italian culture of hospitality, presented here in a layout of 70 m2 that is perfect for events and cooking demonstrations organized at the Embassy. The company’s strong bond with Hong Kong is illustrated by the tribute to Steve Leung, one of the most famous architects in Asia, with whom the company has collaborate since 2015, with displays of the Aurora console, the Tiway daybed, the Westley make-up table and the beautiful Azimut chest with its stone front.
Can Visionnaire Embassy be defined as a new retail frontier? What is your strategy of distribution and approach to clients?
It is definitely a new frontier, a worldwide first… I think that no other furniture company before us has approached the Far East with a project of such impact, or such an ample space set aside for distribution. The Embassy is not a shop, not a showroom, not a retail facility. The furnishings on view are NOT for sale. Entering the Embassy allows every professional in Hong Kong to access a direct branch of the company in a very private way, reserving the space for an exclusive visit through a calendar coordinated by the magnificent Ambassadors (namely Savio and Susanna Pesavento) who act as hosts and create a “bridge” of support with the company. The accompany clients in the discovery of the brand and its main characteristics, in a total “custom design” philosophy. As in the Milan headquarters, when you enter the Embassy you come into contact with the firm’s styling division, its technical staff and sales office. There is direct communication, with large screens for real-time interaction with the various roles. It is a pure Visionnaire space where all sector professionals can feel right at home, with total freedom to work with the maison and to create splendid, original and creative projects.
Why the choice of Hong Kong as the first location for this project?
We chose Hong Kong as a strategic hub to intercept and optimize the opportunities that exist in the APAC area. The goal is to fascinate and surprise professionals and design lovers, attracting them with our “one-of-a-kind” design prowess that sets the brand apart, as an ideal partner for the formulation of metropolitan habitat solutions, large estates, soft contract and the yachting sector.
How are you positioned in this area? Do you have other projects for this market?
The Embassy is in the Southern Island District at 40 Shek Pai Wan Road, Tin Wan. This area is packed with art galleries, just ten minutes by car from Central, so it is easy to reach. We are certain that it will become a true “design district.” Hong Kong, incredibly enough, still does not have a neighborhood for design, though it is the city from which all the major Asia-Pacific projects begin, for both residential and hospitality initiatives.
Will there be other Embassies around the world?
Definitely. On the wave of this intuition, we are planning to create others in Europe, the United States and Africa, identifying the target cities where this type of initiative has the best possibilities of growth.
