On Tuesday, renowned Italian furniture label Paola Lenti hosted an exclusive party in collaboration with COLOURLIVING, Hong Kong’s go-to luxury lifestyle store, to introduce its latest collections. In addition to the newest additions to its outdoor selections, the event also marked the debut of the brand’s dazzling indoor designs. We spoke to Anna Lenti, Managing Director of Paola Lenti and the eponymous designer’s sister, to find out just why these fine furniture pieces have found such favour amongst the city’s elite homeowners.
You’ve had a long and varied career working in the helicopter and aerospace industries. What made you shift to join your sister at Paola Lenti?
Well, when my mother and sister first started Paola Lenti in 1994, I actually didn’t have plans to join them. Paola is a true creative free spirit, though, so when the company really began expanding and finding increasing success, they needed someone they could really trust who had the skills to oversee the commercial operations of the company. They were quite persuasive, and finally, I joined the company in 2000.
Can you tell us a little bit about Paola Lenti’s brand identity and why it’s so unique?
We are a luxury Italian furniture maker dedicated to producing only the best designs using the highest-quality materials. I think what truly sets us apart is that our company places a huge emphasis on the materials we use, because that is the starting point of every piece of furniture that we make. We actually design and create all our materials in-house, especially in terms of synthermal fabrics and textiles.
Coherence is also another core component for us. We are dedicated to working as a team so that everything we manufacture is unquestionably, undeniably Paola Lenti. It’s a philosophy we stick to even when collaborating with guest designers because we want to remain true to our brand identity.
In terms of aesthetic design, colour is something of a hallmark for us. I think nobody is as crazy as we are about colours. In fact, for every material we make, we have hundreds of colour options available. You can imagine it’s quite a task to oversee, but it’s definitely a great source of pride for Paola Lenti.
How did the partnership with COLOURLIVING come about?
When we first wanted to expand into Hong Kong, we were looking for a partner that would understand and share our brand philosophy. We didn’t just want a short-term collaboration but a fruitful long-term relationship. With COLOURLIVING, we found a fantastic team who were dedicated to the same ethos of delivering the very best furniture goods. We started working with COLOURLIVING three years ago, and today we have unveiled our latest 2018 collection in their wonderful showroom.
Paola Lenti’s is debuting its first indoor collection in Hong Kong today. What led to that decision?
When we first partnered with COLOURLIVING, we focused solely on our outdoor furniture, which is something that we’ve built a very solid reputation for. But of course, Paola Lenti is focused very much on being a holistic lifestyle brand, so it made sense to follow that up with our latest indoor designs. We find that the boundaries between interior and exterior furnishings have disintegrated, with customers looking for an overarching motif throughout their homes. By having both collections available in Hong Kong, we’re offering our clients that very opportunity.
Thank you.
Interview by: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: Paola Lenti