Marella Caracciolo Chia – författare

Emblematic of Italian excellence since its founding in 1889, Bonacina is a family-owned design brand that has defined a unique and timeless style, embodying an artistic sensibility, attention to detail, and the superior workmanship of rattan a natural raw material that grows in the Far East. The story begins in remote lands where the natural material grows before traveling to Italy and then, in the hands of some of the best interior designers, to stylish residences, gardens, hotels, and restaurants around the world. Collaborations have always been a part of the company s focus, keeping an age-old material current. Design masters of their times including Gae Aulenti, Mattia Bonetti, Federico Forquet, Piero Lissoni, Renzo Mongiardino, and Gio Ponti have worked with Bonacina in creating both traditional and forward-thinking models. The history of the company unfolds in this book with archival images, newly commissioned photographs of superb interiors, and commentaries from people who live with Bonacina furnishings and who use them in their interior-design practices.

The exclusive world of one of the twentieth century's most glamorous and alluring women, as seen through her private homes and gardens. Nicknamed The Swan by Richard Avedon when he photographed her iconic portrait in 1953, Marella Agnelli is not only one of the great beauties of the last century, but also the most elegant and cultured of that exclusive club. Born the Neapolitan princess Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto, she became Marella Agnelli with her marriage to Gianni Agnelli, the Fiat industrialist. However, her innate style dates back to her New York internship with photographer Erwin Blumenfeld, and she was a Vogue contributor in the 1950s and '60s as well as appearing in its pages. One of the most photographed women of the jet-set society, she was captured by Avedon as well as Irving Penn, Henry Clarke, Horst, and Robert Doisneau, among others. Agnelli collaborated with the best artists and designers of her day, with her many residences as their palette.From Italian interior design legend Renzo Mongiardino-who worked on her New York apartment alongside a young Peter Marino-to Gae Aulenti, the important Italian architect, who built her homes in Turin and Marrakech, Agnelli created a series of extraordinary houses and gardens, full of timeless elegance, invaluable art, and ground-breaking decorating ideas. With ten residences spread throughout Turin, Rome, Milan, New York, St. Moritz, and Marrakech, ranging from regally classic villas to ultramodern apartments, her impeccable taste shines through in these gorgeous interiors and gardens. One of the famous modern fairy tales of love, glamour, and heartbreak, Marella Agnelli has become an icon of our times.