Bringing Leather To The World Of Contemporary Design

Paolo Bestetti, CEO of furniture brand Baxter, talks about bringing leather to the world of contemporary design and why you must experience the brand’s furniture in person.

- Paolo Bestetti

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “leather furniture”? At Baxter’s display in Space Furniture, it takes different forms, ranging from an oversized Chesterfield sofa to a shaggy stool in Mongolian lamb leather and a graphic armchair that hardly looks like it’s upholstered in leather. Founded in 1990, Italian-owned and -made Baxter has pushed the boundaries of leather furniture, bringing it to the 21st century with zest and style. We hear more from CEO Paolo Bestetti.

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO CONCEIVE BAXTER?

This job is part of my family’s DNA. My brother has an architecture studio, my father had furniture shops in Milan and my uncle Luigi owns furniture brand Living Divani. I have him to thank for encouraging me and getting me involved in creating a collection that focuses on leather.

Throughout the process, I learned about leather craftsmanship techniques taken from traditional shoe cobblers and ancient leather tanning methods. I fell in love with this and it led to this adventure of creating a brand. In doing so, I faced two main challenges: producing the collection and then changing my role and starting a company from scratch. Learning the art of the business has been easier for me as I was already part of a great group that already had all the skills needed for my training.

“I LEARNED ABOUT LEATHER CRAFTSMANSHIP TECHNIQUES TAKEN FROM TRADITIONAL SHOE COBBLERS AND ANCIENT LEATHER TANNING METHODS.”

YOU MENTIONED WANTING TO ESTABLISH A SORT OF CLUB AMONG CUSTOMERS. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT?