Sitting Pretty at Home

By Betsy Kroll

Linea a, the new furniture line by architect Peter Marino for 95-year-old Italian manufacturer Poltrona Frau, has insiders atwitter. Marino has been a favorite of the fashion flock since designing the New York City flagship of Barneys New York in 1992. Since then, he's created luxe emporiums for nearly every big name out there. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan have all enlisted Marino's services. But this, his first collection of furniture available for commercial distribution, was uncharted territory for the architect. Says Marino: "I made six prototypes and sat in each one and felt each one--the arms, the seat, the leather. With a building, you cannot experience it until it is completed." With shapes inspired by Cubism, the three-piece collection emphasizes comfort and craftsmanship. It will be available in Poltrona Frau's signature Pelle Frau leathers or pony skin in September.