They had friends in common. Nothing could have been simpler, more natural. And as sometimes happens, an unforeseen “date” became a happy, long-lasting “creative marriage” across a span of 25 years, at this point. It was in June of 1997 that Paola Lenti and Francesco Rota first crossed paths, both at the start of their careers, both in search of a bilateral designer/company collaboration. The Paola Lenti brand was not as famous as it is today; the world of outdoor furnishings had not yet reached its current level of popularity in the world of interior design. Rota was well-known for having designed products for a company specializing in objects for the home. But that moment marked a fundamental turning point in design history, the start of a narrative focused on the evolution of a company and a sector (that of outdoor décor, where Paola Lenti has contributed to boost the expressive, technical and aesthetic potentialities), but also on an exceptional relationship, based on creativity, respect, open dialogue, determination and passion.
Everything began with felt, “a neglected material whose hidden virtues I had already glimpsed,” Paola Lenti says. She turned to Francesco Rota, assigning him the task of “making felt three-dimensional, creating informal seating for indoor use with the material usually applied for the production of carpets – the designer explains. – This led to the first two projects, which I presented in September that same year: the Linea chaise longue, now an iconic product that received an honorable mention for the Compasso d’Oro award, and Atollo, a modular seating system. We decided to take these products to Maison&Objet in Paris during the next year, and we met with immediate success.”
Research on materials and plenty of curiosity have been the leitmotif of the company’s design from the outset, aspects shared with the philosophy of Francesco Rota, which soon led to the first outdoor collection, Aqua.
“I have always been very curious, so I began to look around me and I realized that there were no true outdoor projects – Lenti says. – At the time, towards the end of the 1990s, there were only products in metal and plastic, with very severe lines, quite uncomfortable, and few variations in terms of color and finish. I thought it was necessary to create beautiful, comfortable furnishings with strong, durable technical fabric coverings, at the same level of quality as indoor furniture. It took some time, I worked with outstanding consultants and professionals, and in the end we developed Rope, a technical yarn in polypropylene that would be sturdy and long-lasting, resistant to water and UV rays.” These qualities of image and performance were put to work in the Island, Surf and Sand seating, part of the Aqua collection presented at Fuorisalone 2003.
Since then, this tandem effort has continued inside an unstoppable experimental context, giving rise to solutions that have entered the collective imaginary, as well as the hearts of their makers: “they include Cove, a sofa and seating system that shifts indoor comfort into outdoor settings; Frame, a project based on the idea of using textile tubing, supported by slats in extruded and calendared aluminium, in different forms to obtain seating components; Wabi, which relies on the weaving of fabric with wood; Sabi, Float…”
“All the way to the latest offerings like Eres, the collection driven by research on fibers and materials that respect the environment, or Kiori, which weaves thin strips of semi-fossil wood bonded with a layer of cork, adding unexpected elasticity. Every project has a story behind it, which often has to do with the complexity of the implementation. Together with Paola, we have always overcome difficulties in research and realization, since we strongly believe in the innovative impact of our ideas.”
This is undoubtedly a key ingredient in a synergic, lasting collaboration, but there’s more: “The secret has been to put design at the center. We have always worked hard to make our ongoing investigation both solid and innovative at the same time, without too many ‘personal’ touches, without trying to stand out at all costs, simply concentrating with great determination and passion on the ‘child-like’ lightness of playful creativity.” That “great desire to do new things and to do them well” with which the duo began this process can still be seen in every project, every product, although today they have “a more mature and aware approach, built solidly on premises of mutual trust,” Rota remarks.
The company, in fact, continues to grow and to surprise people, since it is firmly anchored in concepts of color, functionality and balance that become a distinctive signature, an effective synthesis of tradition and innovation, experimentation and technology, along with craftsmanship. In short, as Paola Lenti puts it, “to grant visibility to beauty, applying it to products for everyday use.”
The evolution of the company and the relationship with its first designer, Francesco Rota, finds effective representation inside the new flagship store in Milan, previewed during the latest Milano Design Week, and slated for an official opening in April 2024.
“An ambitious, multifaceted project that goes beyond the concept of the traditional furniture store – Paola explains. – The space recoups a formerly abandoned industrial area of 4000 square meters, and our aim is to make it become a destination open to the public. Inside Paola Lenti Milano, in fact, we will also have a restaurant, a small hotel de charme, the studio of a landscape designer and an art gallery.” An all-around project, then, a universe that expresses the spirit and the DNA of the company, which Francesco Rota now considers “capable of telling its story as a brand in a total way, not just for the outdoor world in which it has become an absolute leader.”
Products photo © Paola Lenti
Paola Lenti Milano © Paola Lenti – Photo Sergio Chimenti
