Bodema, Frag | Italian Simplicity and Modernity

Last week, we explored two prestigious Italian home furnishing brands, Angelo Cappellini, a classic home furnishing specialist founded in 1886, and Opera Contemporary, a contemporary brand established in 2010.

This week, follow our time machine to the 20th century into a more modern space aesthetic, and explore the Italian design ingenuity behind the simple and elegant lines and details. Today, we bring you three typical representatives of Italian modern minimalism: Bodema, Frag, and MisuraEmme.

01 Bodema

As an Italian sofas manufacturer, Bodema has over 50 years' experience in fine upholstery. They design and produce modern and contemporary bespoke sofas, high end sofa beds, exclusive armchairs and tailor made upholstered beds.

Started in the Meda region of northern Italy, the brand's upholstery home collection offers a wide range of colors, materials and finishes. At the same time, the brand fully integrates local supply chain resources to meet complex projects with a high degree of customization and flexibility.

Bodema draws inspiration and strength from Brianza's woodwork and upholstery long time tradition, featuring distinctive tailored looks, handmade detailing, and premium materials.

Looking back at the brand's past, the Italian economy was booming in the 1960s, new social and cultural trends were emerging, and in an environment where a variety of thoughts were competing, the design world also entered a golden age, and "Made in Italy" began to become a label that everyone respected.

In Meda, a small town north of Milan, there’s an upholstery mill. Inside the small workshop, among the craftsmen, one of them is Giulio de Mango.

As a boy he began an apprenticeship as an upholsterer. He acquired everything there was to master on this job. A chair or a sofa is an object he build from start to finish.

This is an approach that goes against the current fragmentation of production. But it is precisely this knowledge of the product in its entirety that makes him more confident, that continues to excite him and that makes him understand the dynamics of the market, how valid and decisive technology can be, how important innovation is.

Starting as third-party manufacturer, he quickly becomes a maker and a pioneer of this fast-growing industry. Soon after he launches his own brand: Bodema.

A high-end atelier with a craftsman's soul, a laboratory of ideas where materials are selected and combined in an endless search for beauty: luxurious fabrics and jewel toned velvets, premium leathers in rich colours, prized woods and metals.

Proportions, balance and a fascination for the dynamics of furniture - these are the driving forces behind collections of modular seating solutions and convertibles.

Bodema's sofas sophisticated, custom look, is a blend of impeccable execution, consistency, comfort and ergonomics. The quality of the frame, components, cushioning, upholstery and seams are hallmarks of a superior product. And the craftsmanship combined with a minimalistic Italian design, has given the ultimate touch.

The brand works with skilled craftspeople and acclaimed architects to curate collections that are exclusively custom made and handcrafted to order, with a focus on latest designs，explore the simplistic aesthetics of modern space.

02 Frag

Founded in 1921, at its inception, the brand focused on the production of leather and saddle leather seats. The dedication to craftsmanship and the pursuit of style has given a modern soul to the traditional materials.

After years of professional accumulation, the brand continues to expand its product line, covering the full range of products for home space, and also pays great attention to the development of interior design projects such as residential, hotel and other spaces.

Since the brand was founded in 1921, its leatherworking techniques have become an aesthetic art of Italian life. Continuous research over the years has broadened this art, adding expertise in processing other materials. Combined with the creativity of international designers, unique pieces have been born.

The structural shapes, exquisite lines and delicate texture make Frag's saddle leather chairs a model of Italian minimalist aesthetics, while the rich material and color combinations make Frag's upholstered sofas go far beyond functionality as well.

Frag owes its commercial success to an simplistic avant-garde form, a modern soul that reinvents the tactile sensations we remember, giving new interpretations and powerful expression to the function of the material.

Bearing humanistic care, artisan spirit and experience, each chair, armchair, sofa, bed, table and accessory speaks of timeless elegance in its simplicity.

The founder, Giovanni, was an employee of a leather processing factory when he was very young. In 1921, at the age of 21, he decided to start his own business and founded the Frag brand.

Today Michele and Federica, the fourth generation and the children of Franco Di Fonzo - the CEO of the brand, have joined the company after completing their studies and started their own careers as product manager and marketing manager respectively.

Franco Di Fonzo says “having your own children working in the company is the best thing an entrepreneur could wish for, because what has been built up over the years can be passed on in the family.” 

The young successors have added their innovative skills to the company's pool of knowledge while implementing their business skills to help the brand grow.

Franco Di Fonzo says “having your own children working in the company is the best thing an entrepreneur could wish for, because what has been built up over the years can be passed on in the family.”

The young successors have added their innovative skills to the company's pool of knowledge while implementing their business skills to help the brand grow.