Italy’s post-war design boom is a huge part of what made it a cultural powerhouse. Fiat, Vespa, Ferrari—most big Italian brands came about around this time. Even storied companies like Gucci came into their own during this period. In the interior-design and industrial-design worlds, Mario Bellini was one of the big names.
The Camaleonda sofa system was wildly popular during it’s heyday in the ’70s. B&B Italia stopped producing it for a after tastes moved on, but there’s been a renewed interest in the style. Just look at how many of these sofas are popping up on 1stDibs for proof. To capitalize, B&B Italia brought it back into production. Yes, it’s $20,000, but you’re buying a monumental piece of design history.
And as for the websites that make replicas you see on TikTok, we’re not huge fans. That goes double since the original designer is still living. It’s tacky. Furniture is difficult to hold intellectual property over, and that means B&B Italia and Mr. Bellini would have to be incredibly litigious to stop replicas and dupes. It’s an impossible task. You live by your moral compass, and we ours. If you want to grab a replica, they’re easy to find, but I’m not going to tell you where to go.
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