Ottoman Leopard Prints 1

When Massimiliano Giornetti — a former creative director of fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo — was asked by childhood friend Fiammetta Vanelli in 2017 to “design something special” for her furniture design firm Fiammetta V, he was only too happy to oblige. In collaboration with Turini and Werich, the result was a six-piece, limited-edition capsule collection of stunning modern furniture that included the Dionisio bar cabinet, the Medea console sideboard, and the Eros room screen, each made with fine marble and other luxury materials. Although Giornetti’s roots are in fashion, his pieces for Fiammetta V revealed a hidden but formidable talent for furniture design.

Born in 1971 in Carrara, Italy, Giornetti had a remarkable eye for style at an early age. When he was seven years old, he reportedly phoned a local fashion boutique to order himself a Giorgio Armani children’s sweater without his mother’s knowledge. In later years, Giornetti studied fashion design at Polimoda in Florence and graduated from the program in collaboration with the London College of Fashion and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

In 1999, Giornetti’s first design job was working in Rome with designer Anton Giulio Grande on women’s ready-to-wear and haute couture collections. In 2000, Giornetti became a designer for Salvatore Ferragamo’s men’s knitwear collection. His rise through Ferragamo was meteoric. By 2004, Giornetti was promoted to creative director of the menswear division and, in 2010, took control of the women’s ready-to-wear collection. That same year, he assumed complete creative control as Ferragamo’s first overall creative director, remaining in the role until 2016, when he stepped down.

The following year, Giornetti turned his attention to furniture design with Fiammetta V. His successful first attempt led to another design collaboration with Tuscan furniture company Artecornici in 2019, designing side tables, coffee tables, table lamps and decorative art for their Ottoman and Jungle Dome collections. The pieces debuted at the Salone del Mobile in Milan to considerable acclaim.

When he is not designing furniture, Giornetti has kept busy in the fashion world. Following his departure from Salvatore Ferragamo, he assisted with the international relaunch of the famed Chinese brand Shanghai Tang. In 2019, he became head of the design department at his alma mater, Polimoda, and in 2021, he was appointed director.

Giornetti’s limited-edition furniture is highly coveted among interior designers and luxury furnishing collectors. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of Massimiliano Giornetti tables, wall decorations, case pieces and storage cabinets.