PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY
orn in Venice, Rubelli
studied in Padua and joined
the family fabrics firm in
Como in 1992 – the year he attended
Salone del Mobile for the first time.
Now CEO of the Rubelli Group, he
has visited nearly every Salone since
and the fair has become integral to his
business, with three of the group’s
major brands – Rubelli Casa, Donghia and Armani/Casa by
Rubelli – all joining the line-up of exhibitors. Salone has been
highly influential in the brands’ development, with
collaborators including Nava+Nava, who designed the popular
Pila 47 chair, and Zanellato/Bortotto, creators of the Acqua
Alta collection, who were discovered via Marva Griffin’s
platform for young talent, SaloneSatellite.
The unmissable event: The Armani/Casa party, hosted by
Giorgio Armani himself
Must visit: Italiana at Palazzo Reale, an exhibition charting 30
years of Italian fashion
Eat: Trattoria Milanese on Via Santa Marta is the best place
to sample traditional cuisine
Stay: The Palazzo Parigi hotel, which often plays host to high-
profile guests
Unwind: In my house at Cortina in the Dolomites. By April
the white of the snow has given way to green meadows and it’s
the perfect place to relaxNicolò Rubelli
CEO, Rubelli GroupB
Nicolò Rubelli
recommends the
Italiana exhibition at
Palazzo Reale, belowSalone special“Salone is a great showcase for Made in Italy
and the most important show for the furniture
industry. Every year thousands of people visit
the fair, so it’s the best way to meet clients
from all over the world, show the collections
and create new business”“This year we collaborated with Italian designer Cristina
Celestino to completely redesign a tram using Rubelli fabrics.
The “Rubelli tram” is both a new design experience and a way to
discover Milan. It will stop at the Brera design district, near our
flagship store, where you can see new furniture from Donghia
and all the Rubelli Group textile collections.”Jump on board
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