1964. While Gianni Morandi’s In ginocchio da te dominated Italian jukeboxes, Michelangelo Antonioni depicted the new bourgeoisie in Red Desert on cinema screens, and Stefania Sandrelli—under Pietro Germi’s direction—challenged the patriarchal concept of ‘honor’ in Seduced and Abandoned. The economic boom was by then in the past, but it had given rise to a new urban bourgeoisie eager to flaunt their newfound modernity and acquired prosperity, starting with a fresh vision of home, furnishings, and living spaces.
It is to this cultured, bourgeois audience that a piece destined to become an iconic symbol of the era is addressed: the Saratoga living room set, designed in 1964 by Lella & Massimo Vignelli for Poltronova. It is not only the essentiality of its form and the desired purity of its silhouette that make it a status symbol, but also the refinement of its finishes: the glossy polyester lacquer of the structure resembles that of pianos, and the premium leather of the cushions is akin to the upholstery of luxury cars.
If you can’t find it, design it yourself.
Lella and Massimo Vignelli
Specifically, the cushions, soft and comfortable to both sight and touch, are filled with down feathers and feature removable leather covers reminiscent of the interiors of prestigious cars like the Jaguar. Designed by the Vignellis to furnish their first New York home, Saratoga perfectly embodies the couple’s design philosophy: “If you can’t find it, design it yourself.”
Self-reliance, absolute confidence in their design and innovative abilities, a declared hostility to fleeting fashion trends, quality, and durability: these are the hallmarks of the Vignellis’ work. The Saratoga collection is one of the most mature and complete expressions of their vision. Comprising an armchair, a two-, three- or four-seater sofa, a bar cabinet, coffee tables of various sizes, and a uniquely designed sideboard cabinet, all connected by a lacquered wooden structure in glossy black or white polyester, Saratoga is born from the juxtaposition of geometric solids, meticulously combined to achieve maximum purity and linguistic clarity.
The entire collection is built around well-defined volumetric shapes, such as cubes and parallelepipeds, which, when assembled, form sofas, armchairs, and pieces of furniture. This almost ‘sculptural’ formal approach sharply contrasts with earlier design norms, which favored softer lines and more decorative aesthetics. Even the color choices for the collection — often monochromatic or featuring bold and intense tones, such as glossy white, black, and occasionally red — reflect the pop taste and boldness characteristic of the 1960s.
Modularity is another key element: the pieces of the Saratoga collection are designed to be combinable and adaptable. This system allows for a fair degree of customization, meeting the needs of a society where the ideas of personal freedom and flexible living spaces were beginning to gain relevance. Furthermore, the materials used, such as lacquered fiberglass, provide a glossy, almost monolithic finish to the elements, enhancing their architectural effect and giving the collection a timeless quality. Poised between minimalism and functionality, the Vignellis’ style seeks to convey a concept of luxury detached from ornamentation and decoration, focusing instead on the quality and durability of materials, the strength of visual impact, and the rigor and simplicity of formal design.
In this sense, the Saratoga collection is more than just a set of furniture, it is a statement of intent. The monolithic structure evokes the solidity of modern architecture, while the cushions invite timeless domestic comfort. This duality — between the sculptural aspect of the objects and their practical comfort — is one of the project’s most revolutionary insights. It reflects a vision that elegantly and sensitively interpreted the transformative spirit of an entire era.
Saratoga is, therefore, a symbol of design’s ability to meet the needs of the present while maintaining a lasting and universal value, rooted in principles of clarity, rationality, order, and simplicity. However, Italian design could not have positioned itself at the forefront of international transformations without the presence of companies committed to research and experimentation — even at the risk of alienating parts of the market. Poltronova is one of these companies: under the leadership of Sergio Cammilli, it stood out as a key brand in the radical renewal of Italian design. Poltronova supported cutting-edge projects and formal and functional experiments that went beyond mere furnishing requirements, venturing instead to explore and shape new and unprecedented expressive forms.