Design Holding, a recently formed global high-end interior design group that encompassesB&B Italia,FlosandLouis Poulsen,哈s a new CEO. Gabriele Del Torchio, who has been a B&B Italia board member since 2015 and served in leadership roles at luxury shipbuilding company Ferretti Group, daily newspaperSole 24 Ore, Alitalia, and Ducati, takes on the role, effective immediately. Additionally, Armin Broger, B&B Italia’s CEO, is resigning, with Del Torchio taking over his role as well.
Other execs on the Design Holding team include Giorgio Busnelli, serving as vice chairman; Alessandro Poletto, formerly of Moleskine, who recently signed on as CFO; and chairman Piero Gandini, who also serves as CEO of Flos. Gandini says of the company’s latest appointment: “It is a pleasure to have an experienced guy like Gabriele in the team. I am sure his contribution will be precious for Design Holding.”
Design Holding was founded in December of last year and is controlled by the Carlyle Group and Investindustrial; it spans B&B Italia, Flos, and Louis Poulsen, as well these companies’ subsidiaries. “The idea behind Design Holding is to bring together companies that make excellence in design their founding value. If we look at Flos, B&B Italia, and Louis Poulsen, in fact, we note that despite being different in so many respects . . . they have always shared strong values such as cultural commitment and the great quality of their products,” Gandini explains. “For many decades, the history of industrial design has been marked by the extraordinary icons generated by these companies through partnerships with legendary designers. I believe that this shared premise of passion and research is the ideal strategic foundation for the development of Design Holding.”
Design Holding will appear at Salone del Mobile next week with a booth designed by Calvi Brambilla; Flos will debut the reedition of the lamp Chiara by Mario Bellini, as well as a 1957 design by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the Bulbo lamp. Louis Poulsen will spotlight work by Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, and Verner Panton, among others, as well as a collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. And B&B Italia, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the brand’s UP Series by Gaetano Pesce, will display the Catalina chair, along with works by Michael Anastassiades, Antonio Citterio, Lissoni, Vincent Van Duysen, and others.
