Fendi Casa is hot, exclusive, and ready to take over, as is the President of Fendi Casa USA

Fendi Casa is hot, exclusive, and ready to take over,
as is the President of Fendi Casa USA

By Stephanie Wilson

The Fendi design house is one of a kind-an exclusive brand that strives to exceed the expectations of those whom have come to love their coveted designs. As the saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Fendi Casa is silently dominating the home furnishing sector across the globe, thanks to their stunning designs and innovative styles.

Luca Buttazzoni, president of Fendi Casa USA, is the ideal face for the brand’s US division. One hundred percent Italian, Luca is one of those men whose blue eyes melt those in their path with a knowing stare. He is pure heartthrob, almost as desirable and exclusive as the luxury brand he represents. But this man is all business.

Fendi Casa is his passion. The exclusive division has been in the US for two and a half years with a headquarters in Miami’s Design District, which includes a ten thousand square foot showroom. This strategic location is the centerpiece of Fendi Casa’s US expansion, which now includes more than twenty stores in the Americas, with more set to open their doors in the coming months. In fact, a location in Los Angeles is opening in mere weeks, with a New York store following soon thereafter. Buttazzoni explains, “This is where we manage all the operations in the North, Central, and soon to be South American markets; this is where we handle the logistics.”

The air of secrecy behind Fendi Casa is a planned one. “We are not in the industry of trying to produce for everyone,” says Buttazzoni. “We are trying to keep ourselves selective so we reach the right market… There is no greater advertisement than my product in the right client’s house, one that appreciates what we are doing.”

The designs of the brand originate in Italy from Club House Italia, which began in the 1970’s with furniture designer Alberto Vignatelli. Fendi Casa’s furnishings are all still produced in Italy, except for the Safari collection, which is handmade in South Africa. Fendi Casa is a merge of Fendi’s luxury brand into an urban home furnishing style; one that is all about elegance, and buying into a lifestyle of class and sophistication. Buttazzoni explains, “We come from fashion. We offer something to the market that is lacking, because we start with the [textiles]…The link between Fendi and Fendi Casa is the material we use. The key to the success of Fendi Casa is the research and development of these materials.”

Fendi Casa has almost 310 fabrics, with more than 100 different combinations of leather, which can be finished in anything from alligator or lizard patterns to elephant or shark-skin style. The end result of what Fendi Casa can do with plain leather is nothing short of incredible. The materials are the outcome of many years of research from a company with the highest standards.

These materials can be used to cover virtually any surface. “Everything is custom made,” explains Buttazzoni. “With other companies, customers tend to like a model, and then ask, ‘What color does it come in?’ The approach with Fendi Casa is different: customers like the material, and then use it to do something that is right for them.” Fendi Casa can cover consoles, mirrors, tables and beds with their style, turning virtually anything into part of their eminent brand. “Customers decide on what model, what material, what finishing to use, making each piece their own.”

Fendi Casa also offers furnishings in their showrooms, with sofas, armchairs, poufs, chaise-lounges, consoles, and beds. The company also produces as precious wooden furniture, textile accessories with furs, bed linens, lighting, vases, trays, and frames. “I feel we are succeeding when people buy rooms as a whole; not only are they buying our products, they are buying the Fendi Casa atmosphere.”

The Savoy hotel and condominiums on South Beach bought into the brand as a whole; Fendi Casa has been selected to provide furnishings for the hotel rooms, public spaces, and the spa. “Fendi Casa is not willing to open its doors to every opportunity that comes its way,” says Buttazzoni. “We want to do selective, boutique products, and The Savoy is consistent with our branding.” The Savoy is the first and only hotel in the area to be outfitted by Fendi Casa; in fact, the developers behind the hotel turned down an offer of design by Armani Casa in favor of Fendi.

The hotel designs are modern and contemporary. Fendi Casa is working closely with interior designer Charles Allem on the project, outfitting the building with the ideal selection of products that compliment the beach location. “The colors are properly matching and very elegant, with everything in black and white, mixed in with some colors that are appropriate for the beach. It is very classy.”

The company has so much promise in this industry. The well-organized company has a mission in mind, one that includes high-levels of customer service that has been aided by recent IT developments. “When a client puts twenty thousand dollars or more, they want to know where their product is. Thanks to new technology, we can tell them that the piece is in production, that the fabric is being cut. Every step from order to delivery is detailed.”

Fendi Casa works closely with interior designers to promote their products. “A good interior designer can bring us one hundred clients we might not have otherwise found. Interior designers now make up eighty percent of our revenues; it is just a matter of working with the right ones.” The interior designers who do show promise tend to reap great rewards; at the recent Casa Décor Miami event, the Fendi Casa room, which was co-sponsored by Haute Living, was created by local designer Osirys Mendez, who works closely with Fendi Casa. It was the company’s way of saying thanks. “Mendez was working hard to spread the word of Fendi Casa, and was very excited about our products. We wanted to give her an opportunity to present us there.”

The company has a bright future that will continue to silently dominate the interior design world thanks to their superior offerings in home furnishings. Fendi Casa is as distinguished as the homes in which the products grace. The company is more than just a furnishing co, it is a lifestyle, available for purchase.

 

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