HELLO! India Exclusive: Understanding Natuzzi's design legacy in the modern age

HELLO! India: What brand values do you think position Natuzzi in a unique space?

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi: It’s the strong connection that we have with our roots and our workmanship, our legacy, our heritage. We operate on the values of an Italian family that built the business, where you only had stones, cows and a few farms.

HELLO! India: You say your spaces bring a sense of quiet luxury, harmony, and safety. But do different markets inspire different design approaches?

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi: We feel that beauty and design have to be perennial. Today, people seek a sense of stability. Look at how most luxury brands retail. They may invite an architect to design the store for a particular city, keeping the aesthetics in mind. But the product — a Louis Vuitton bag, for example, will remain the same across the world. You don’t build a brand by changing the colour and aesthetic based on what people expect. You build a brand with consistency, with coherence.

HELLO! India: But luxury brands, be it Louis Vuitton, Cartier or so many others, often do collaborate with designers from across the world…

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi: I genuinely believe diversity is what generates beauty. You can’t really innovate if the same people sit in one room for too long. Someone from outside needs to walk in and say, “Open the window. You need fresh air!” That’s why co-creation is so important to me. It isn’t about experimenting for the sake of it but recognising how alive, relevant, and perennial a brand can remain when it is enriched by perspectives from outside.

HELLO! India: Tell us about your ‘Comfortness’ vertical, and the philosophy that combines comfort with furniture.

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi: Every function we bring in is tested, and certified to the extent we can. We leverage technologies that are proven to enhance relaxation, breathwork, respiratory rates, posture and blood circulation. Many of these mechanisms, such as zero gravity, 365 Motion, and Micro Mobility DR, are strong aids for healthy aging, which is one of the key areas we are focussing on. We believe everyone wants to embrace healthy aging, be it a millennial seeking wellness, or simply anyone looking for overall vitality and prosperity.

HELLO! India: During your visits to India, what impresses you about the design you see around you?

Pasquale Junior Natuzzi: I actually came to India three times in 2016 to Delhi and Mumbai, specifically for a design show. These shows act as a thermometer that reflects the temperature of the country’s creative industry. The beauty of coming here is that every time I walk through the [design] shows, I try to take something home — sometimes I even buy pieces. I genuinely love Indian designers, makers, and brands. There’s remarkable dynamism here. I also meet many Indian designers when I attend shows in Dubai, or when they travel to Milan, America, and other parts of the world. You can really feel their strong appetite to succeed globally and remain relevant in products and projects, while offering value for money. That’s why I’m here — to get inspired and also explore taking the brand into a market I believe will become a leader in the next decade.

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 6 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.