During Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign, the new Lia armchair marks the first partnership between the Italian brand and the Danish-Italian studio, embodying a masterful fusion of Scandinavian purity and Italian craftsmanship.
As the design world converges on Copenhagen for the annual 3daysofdesign festival, a beacon of Italian craftsmanship, Molteni&C, celebrates a significant new chapter. The brand’s Flagship Store in the city, operated by INTERSTUDIO, becomes a focal point for the unveiling of its first collaboration with the Danish-Italian studio, GamFratesi. The event honours the creative union of Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, a duo renowned for a design ethos that elegantly merges the functional purity of Scandinavian tradition with the conceptual depth of Italian design.
3daysofdesign has rapidly evolved into one of Northern Europe’s most vital design events, celebrated for its intimate, city-wide format that eschews the traditional trade fair hall for the authentic atmosphere of showrooms and galleries. It is against this vibrant backdrop that Molteni&C, a standard-bearer of “Made in Italy” excellence since its founding in 1934, chooses to spotlight its latest creative venture. With a history rich in collaborations with design masters like Gio Ponti and current creative director Vincent Van Duysen, Molteni&C has consistently balanced industrial innovation with artisanal heritage, cementing its global reputation for sophisticated, timeless furniture.
To mark this inaugural partnership, the Copenhagen Flagship Store is presenting the Lia armchair, a piece designed by GamFratesi and first unveiled during the Milan Design Week. A dedicated press event, held earlier in the week, saw the designers themselves in attendance to share insights into their creative process. GamFratesi, founded in 2006, has carved a unique path in the design landscape, creating furniture that is rich in meaning, while minimal and elegant in expression—a philosophy that finds a perfect match in Molteni&C’s own values.
Lia Armchair, Design GamFratesi
“The LIA armchair is not just a piece of furniture, but an experience: a fusion of tradition and modernity, a celebration of craftsmanship that invites one to stop, connect, and fully enjoy the present,” state designers Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi.
The conceptual and technical research behind this armchair focuses on the principle of lightness. Its solid oak structure, available in a striking black finish, is combined with a seat that appears suspended between two ends, supported by a light yet solid metal frame. This expresses a unique synthesis of aesthetic vision and technical craftsmanship.
The meeting between the purity of Scandinavian design and the innovative comfort of refined Italian design gives life to a harmonious fusion of materials: the rigor of metal, the natural warmth of wood, and the softness of leather or fabric upholstery create a new aesthetic-tactile dimension. The armchair presented features a sophisticated light-coloured fabric, creating a stark, elegant contrast with the black oak.
With a versatile and elegant style, the armchair naturally fits into various environments, from private residences to high-end hospitality settings. The selection of precious materials, such as leather and the tactile bouclé fabric, offers unmatched customization possibilities.
Lia is an armchair with a light and refined style, perfectly harmonized with the distinctive atmosphere of the Molteni&C Collection. GamFratesi’s stylistic signature is unmistakably highlighted in the sinuous, scythe-shaped oak armrests—a detail of sculptural beauty. Its rich and expertly enhanced materiality maximizes the sensory experience, creating a piece that is not just to be seen, but to be felt and lived.