Yahoo Finance EXCLUSIVE: Marco Bizzarri Leads Acquisition of Design Company Visionnaire
MILAN — In his new role as an investor, Marco Bizzarri is looking at industries beyond fashion.
His first investment, leading FOREL with Mario Gardini as an advisory company to FARO Alternative Investments, is in design. FOREL has entered into an agreement on behalf of the FARO fund to acquire a majority stake in Italian luxury interior design brand Visionnaire (IPE Srl).
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The stake was acquired from Apheon and financial details were not disclosed.
As reported, FOREL is supporting a sub-fund of the newly launched FARO Alternative Investments. As per its mission statement, the FARO Fashion, Luxury and Design sub-fund targets “global companies with strong brand recognition and high business potential.”
Visionnaire was founded by the Cavalli family in Bologna in 1959. Led by Leopoldo and Eleonore Cavalli, who serve as chief executive officer and creative director, respectively, Visionnaire is positioned in the uppermost segment of the luxury market, is entirely Made in Italy, and earned B Corp status in 2021.
Bizzarri touted the possibility “to unlock new opportunities for growth” partnering with the company’s founding family. “Visionnaire’s commitment to innovation and design excellence aligns perfectly with our investment philosophy, and we are confident in the company’s potential to redefine luxury living in the years to come.”
The aim of the deal is to help Visionnaire with resources to accelerate its international trajectory and to fuel the company’s next phase of growth through the expansion of its network in key global cities. The goal is also to develop branded residences, and ennhance its brand and client engagement strategies.
Visionnaire includes collections by leading Italian and international designers, under the direction of Eleonore Cavalli, and also offers bespoke home design solutions. Products span across a full range of living, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and outdoor spaces.
With operations in more than 55 countries, Visionnaire has a strong international presence through six showrooms in Milan, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Miami and Los Angeles; 25 monobrand stores, select specialty stores, and partnerships with 150 elite architects and interior designers around the world.
Leopoldo Cavalli underscored that the partnership with FOREL ensures that Visionnaire remains an Italian company, and praised Bizzarri’s “unique track record and experience in the luxury sector.”
As reported, the former Gucci president and CEO through his Nessifashion holding is buying a stake in fashion brand Elisabetta Franchi.
Visionnaire is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, marked by a collection called Nomad that will be unveiled at Salone del Mobile Milano. “This is the perfect moment to grow and propel Visionnaire to the pinnacle of the world’s most important luxury brands,” Cavalli said.
Visionnaire relies on a network of more than 30 craft hubs located all over the country, enabling it to create unique sartorial objects.
“Nomadism is not the absence of a home, but the primacy of movement over stasis, the choice of new horizons to find one’s home,” the company said presenting its new design concept.
The “Nomad” collection is the result of the encounter of different creative worlds that have collaborated with the brand over the years, such as Alessandro La Spada, Mauro Lipparini, Marco Piva, Draga&Aurel, Studiopepe, m2atelier, and new visions of artists such as Matteo Cibic, Naqsh collective, CaCO3, Michele Astolfi, Gupica, and Hagit Pincovici.
FARO Alternative Investments SCSp SICAV-RAIF is a Luxembourg-based umbrella fund managed by Crestbridge Management Company SARL with FARO Value SpA S.B. operating as lead adviser. It sims to fundraise 1 billion euros.
Gardini is a longtime friend of Bizzarri and cofounder of Orienta Capital Partners, which focuses on majority buyout operations and specializes in investments in small- and medium-sized companies with strong growth potential.
As reported, Bizzarri has been an investor in Orienta since 2021. Bizzarri and Gardini worked together early in their careers in Bologna at both Arthur Andersen and Mandarina Duck in the 1990s.
