On Wednesday evening, the 1st March 2017, we hosted Roberto Gavazzi, CEO of DePadova and his fabulous Italian team, in our showroom in Hyde Park Corner, to share the story behind the latest DePadova furniture collection.

Surrounded by a beautifully curated store installation showcasing the collection, it was an inspiring evening that brought together many South African design enthusiasts from architects to interior designers, who sipped on Prosecco and ate delicious Italian fare, which together with the superbly designed De Padova pieces, had them believing they had been transported to Milan for the evening.

Introduced by the owner of Generation Julia Day who spoke about the brands unique history, Roberto touched on DePadova’s appreciation for honest and passionate design, which draws inspiration from the great design classics, from fine craftsmanship, and from a combination of extensive research and innovation allowing the collection to manifest a timelessness not easily found.

On show where the newly launched pieces such as the LLO4 lounge chair and the LCO3 armchair, works by the late Belgian furniture designer Maarten Van Severin, brought back from the archives and reissued by DePadova in 2016. The Sen tables by Kensaku Oshiro , the Firefly light by Alexander Ahnebrink , and the Mogaru pendants and floor lamps designed by Japanese design house Nendo were also presented on the night.

All in all, it was enlightening to hear Roberto Gavazzi tell the story behind each design in such a passionate and intimate tone. Roberto had the most admirable way with the audience and got them to interact and feel the products with ease and comfort, guests were lining up to be the next to get a chance to nestle into one of Roberto’s mentioned favorites the Square 16 leather sofa. This knack just illuminating his love and belief in the brand, which was such a pleasure to witness and be a part of.

Generation is privileged to be part of the DePadova family, a leading name in Italian design, as the one and only distributor of DePadova in South Africa.

An Evening of Design with Generation