Founded in Milan in 1969 by husband-and-wife team Luigi Bestetti
and Renata Pozzoli, Living Divani credits ‘a fixation on contemporary
design and a touch of luck’ for its success. It was at just 26 years
old that Bestetti decided to strike out from his family’s traditional
furniture company and forge the modern brand we know today.
Still honouring the principles that it established 50 years ago –
elegant silhouettes and a considered colour palette – it’s now
just as celebrated for its creative collaborations and the ageless
outlook that’s allowed it to traverse half a century with ease.
Bringing Italian design maestro Piero Lissoni on board in
1989 – a partnership that’s celebrating its own anniversary of 30
years – was a pivotal moment, solidifying Living Divani’s unique
style. ‘I’ve seen the company completely transform,’ says the
designer, who, upon joining the brand, set about overhauling its
factory in Como, which opened in 1974, updating its materials and
reimagining its visual identity. He also created some of the most
iconic Living Divani pieces, such as 1995’s ‘Frog ’ chair (above and
left), now considered a forerunner to the subsequent vogue for
low seating, and the ‘Wall’ sofa (left) of 2000, which was the brand’s
first design without legs. ‘I pushed them to be more contemporary
and, luckily, they believed in me and my crazy ideas,’ he says.
Collaboration has been a mainstay of the firm’s identity, thanks
in no small part to the vision of the founders’ daughter, Carola
Bestetti, who joined the firm in 2004. The roll call of those who have
contributed to the portfolio is a who’s who of the design scene – Arik
Levy, Claesson Koivisto Rune, Giopato & Coombes, Nathan Yong,
Victor Vasilev, Shiro Kuramata, Junya Ishigami and Lanzavecchia
+ Wai, to name but a few. Each designer is specially chosen for their
ability to harmonise with the brand’s clean-lined aesthetic.
At 50 years young, Living Divani continues to uphold its global
reputation for creating fine furniture, with a range that now spans
the entire home. For 2019, it has partnered with another impressive
array of designers, both new and established, including David Lopez
Quincoces, Keiji Takeuchi and Shibuleru, plus, for the first time,
young Italian Leonardo Talarico, Milan-based Studio Klass and New
York’s Stephen Burks. Of course, Lissoni has contributed too, with
‘The Uncollected Collection’ (chaise longue, right), a limited-edition
range of chairs and tables that are part furniture, part sculpture.
What now? ‘On to the next 50 years!’ says Lissoni (livingdivani.it).‘I PUSHED THEM TO BE MORE
CONTEMPORARY AND,
LUCKILY, THEY BELIEVED INME AND MY CRAZY IDEAS’
WO R D S: A MY M O O R E A WO N G P I C T U R ES: S I M O N E B O S S I