Bottega Veneta is pleased to introduce META, a new arm chair made in association with Poltrona Frau, international leader in high-end furnishings. Designed by Bottega Veneta Creative Director Tomas Maier, the META armchair is the first in a planned collection of seating and will be presented at the 2008 International Furniture Fair in Milan.

In furniture, as in leather goods and fashion, Bottega Veneta is guided by a commitment to fine quality materials, masterful craftsmanship, contemporary functionality, and timeless design. These same principles characterize the work of Poltrona Frau, making a partnership between the two Italy-based, globally oriented companies a natural fit. “Seating requires a particular kind of expertise, an understanding of construction as it relates to comfort and the human body,” explains Bottega Veneta Creative Director Tomas Maier. “Poltrona Frau is one of very few companies working at the highest levels of design and craftsmanship. And their furniture lasts a very long time, which is important to us.”

The META armchair is made of seasoned beech and poplar wood and upholstered in exclusive Pelle Frau® leather. Rounded and inviting, with organic lines and graceful curves, the chair has a high back, so that the head can lean back comfortably, and accommodating armrests, so that holding a book feels like a natural gesture. The lower backrest is cushioned with down for added support. The proportions of the chair are unusual, visually engaging from all sides, while the seat cushion is soft and supple, certain to take on the shape of a regular occupant over time. The wood legs are upholstered in leather and the underside of the chair, also covered in leather, bears the discreetly embossed logos of the two brands. The META armchair is available in Bottega Veneta’s signature palette of pergamena, uniform, noce, ebano, and nero.

Poltrona Frau, founded in 1912 in Turin, is known for its unsurpassed quality, iconic design and sophisticated expertise in handcrafted workmanship. Now based in Tolentino, in central Italy, Poltrona Frau collaborates with top international designers, architects, airlines and automobile makers to produce high quality furniture and interiors that capture the intimate and timeless elegance of the brand. The scope of Poltrona Frau’s contract work is extraordinary, ranging from the interiors of the Strasbourg European Parliament and the Palau Reina Sofia in Valencia, to Singapore Airline’s first-class suites and the interiors of luxury cars such as the Ferrari Scaglietti and the Maserati Quattroporte.

“I’m very excited about the META arm chair,” says Maier. “Seating is an important addition to the Bottega Veneta furniture collection and something we’ve been working on for a long time. It’s a new realm for us, with curves and cushions that are a world away from the clean lines and angular construction of our luggage-inspired furniture. That’s one reason we started with an armchair—a library chair—because books and libraries have been an inspiration and a motif for Bottega Veneta for a long time. Also, I think an armchair is a true object of desire—once you fall in love with one, you never want to sit anywhere else. You want to keep it forever.”

Collaboration is at the heart of the Bottega Veneta enterprise, from the definitive interaction between designer and artisan to joint ventures with such prestigious partners as L’Artisan Parfumeur, St. Regis Hotels, and KPM porcelain makers. Bottega Veneta looks forward to continuing this constructive tradition in its new association with Poltrona Frau. The META armchair will be available in Bottega Veneta stores from October 2008 and available for online viewing at www.bottegaveneta.com from April 2008.