Italian luxury furniture brand Visionnaire marked its first anniversary in Hong Kong with an exclusive cultural event on November 18th, transforming its Soho House showroom in Sheung Wan into an art gallery. The celebration featured new works by mixed-Japanese artist Mizuki Nishiyama alongside the brand's signature furniture pieces, demonstrating how the space has evolved beyond a traditional retail environment into a cultural hub for Hong Kong's design community.
Founded in Italy and built on decades of artisanal expertise, Visionnaire operates as a contemporary lifestyle brand that creates unique furniture and custom interior pieces through a network of specialized workshops. The company combines Italian craftsmanship heritage with global design sensibilities, earning recognition for its collectible designs, cultural partnerships, and commitment to sustainable luxury practices.
Filippo Basso, APAC director of Visionnaire, opened the evening with reflections on the brand's inaugural year in Asia. "When this space opened one year ago, we envisioned more than a showroom. We wanted to create a cultural home for Visionnaire in Asia, a place where design becomes a language of values—where our philosophy, The Art of Belonging, could take tangible form," Basso explained to attendees.
The evening highlighted Visionnaire's approach to what the company calls "meta-luxury," with Basso emphasizing a shift in luxury market values. "Luxury is no longer about ownership—it is about meaning, coherence, and emotional resonance," he noted. "At Visionnaire, we create environments that nurture identity, comfort, and connection, where beauty becomes a tool for well-being and belonging."
The event showcased six new artworks by Mizuki Nishiyama, whose artistic practice draws from her Japanese, Hong Kong, and Italian cultural heritage to create a unique visual language that transcends traditional cultural boundaries. Her pieces were strategically positioned throughout the showroom alongside Visionnaire's hero products, including the distinctive Pavone armchair designed by Marc Ange, Alessandro La Spada's Kerwan table, and Studiopepe's Shibari armchair.
The pairing of Nishiyama's artwork with Visionnaire's furniture pieces created intentional dialogue between mediums, as both the artist and brand explore themes of impermanence and craftsmanship. The collaboration weaves together traditional and contemporary elements to create timeless pieces, whether through furniture rooted in Italian artisanal traditions or art that approaches materiality and time with reverence.
Eleonore Cavalli, art director and co-founder of Visionnaire, emphasized the brand's commitment to cultural integration in retail spaces. "Each of our flagship stores is a cultural laboratory where art, design and lifestyle converge," Cavalli stated. "Celebrating the first anniversary of Hong Kong with an artist like Mizuki Nishiyama reaffirms our connection with a cosmopolitan and creative city, one that embraces our idea of meta-luxury: an emotional and sustainable approach to design, deeply connected to the identity of people and places."
