Stitched Up: tailor-made design from Presotto

The best tailored suits are made to measure, last for decades and never go out of style. Italian brand Presotto thinks the same qualities should apply to furniture and has spent over 60 years developing products that combine outstanding Italian manufacturing with bespoke capabilities. Its recently launched ‘Tailor Made Project’ epitomises this approach, allowing for complete customisation of furniture systems throughout the home.

Presotto was founded in 1948 and its president Luciano Biscontin took control 30 years later, gradually expanding the firm’s product range and its influence in the international market place. For Biscontin, the concept of creating customisable products is an extension of Presotto’s core ‘Design for Life’ ethos, as well as a response to changing demands in the market. The company encourages customers to invest in furniture that suits their individual tastes and will last a lifetime by producing beautiful, timeless pieces that can be specified in a range of materials and a palette of 106 finishes.

Throughout its history, the company’s output has been influenced by evolutions in the global market, with a particularly dramatic shift occurring in the 1990s, as an increasing volume of low-cost mass-produced furniture threatened many of Italy’s premium manufacturers. Recognising that some customers wanted more bespoke alternatives to mass-market mundanity, Presotto set about creating a facility that would allow it to produce tailored solutions using new techniques and materials.

When developing its products, Presotto simulates real living environments to ensure their suitability in a wide range of scenarios, and seeks input regarding customers’ current needs from its network of dealers and interior designers. “Custom products come from a market request, where the final consumer chooses the furniture that fits his personality and living habits,” explains Presotto’s head of research, development and marketing, Paolo Sartini. “When a new product is designed, we analyse the individual functions to which it must respond, including volume, functionality, modularity and the possibility of integrating electrical systems,” he adds, emphasising the rigorous process required to deliver optimal flexibility to the end user.

“[At that time] we started researching increasingly sophisticated technologies that allow, through maximum flexibility of the production plant, a personalisation of the product,” claims Sartini. “A research and development department was created within the company to design products that are distinguished by unusual and innovative materials.”

In addition to the huge array of modular components available to Presotto’s clients, materials inspired by nature such as textured woods, stone and Corten steel facilitate the creation of truly unique products. The opportunity to integrate electrical systems further helps to enhance the functionality of built-in furniture and enables it to adapt to potential future uses.

Presotto’s products are developed by a creative team headed by art director, Pierangelo Sciuto. Collaborations with leading designers including Renzo Piano, Lorenzo Bellini, Toyo Ito, are also a fundamental and an integral part of the firm’s most advanced production. Using premium materials and the latest manufacturing technologies, Presotto produces wardrobes, storage systems, beds and bedroom furniture that embody the standards required to achieve the prestigious 100% ‘Made in Italy’ certification. “The ‘Made in Italy’ label is not just a trademark, it also represents craftsmanship and design,” Sartini points out. “For all these reasons we are proud to be an Italian company and the 100% ‘Made in Italy’ label has a strong value as a guarantee for our customer.”

Having established the design and manufacturing capabilities required to provide Presotto’s customers with a highly personalised service, Luciano Biscontin is currently implementing an ambitious plan to introduce the concept to a global audience. Earlier this year, the company launched the ‘Tailor Made Project’, which demonstrates how Presotto’s systems be customised to suit any interior space. Customers can experience the quality of the products and variety of options firsthand at new showrooms in Lyon and Prague, with a Milan flagship and several other venues planned to open around the world next year.

“The ‘Tailor Made Project’ is our goal for the future,” explains Presotto sales manager Fabio Vettorel. “This customisation concept creates complete living areas that go throughout the home, from the kitchen to the living room, bedroom and home office areas. We will train our staff and sales network to be prepared to respond to the characteristics of a consumer that is always more demanding and exclusive.”

Alongside its existing presence in over 800 retail outlets across the globe, the dedicated showrooms will help Presotto present its vision of tailor-made interior design and ‘Made in Italy’ quality to an international clientele. It’s all part of a strategic plan aimed at giving customers what they want, when and where they want it: the ultimate bespoke service.

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Presotto Tailor Made Milano
Corso di Porta Romana 2, Milan
Exhibition: 12-17 April 2016

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