Renzo Frau

Lorenzo Frau, known as Renzo (1881-1926), was the founder of Poltrona Frau, the furniture brand specialising in leather products that bears his name. Frau grew up in Cagliari but moved to Milan for his military service. Once discharged, he married and moved to Turin, where he began working as a sales agent first for the Gribaudi company and then for Dermoide Patent, a manufacturer of imitation leather products. Thanks to this job, he had the opportunity to travel to Great Britain and discover Chesterfield armchairs, whose potential he immediately grasped. He soon began to import them to Italy. Shortly after that, in 1912, he opened a workshop, expanding the range of products to include French and Central European-inspired models. In a short time, he went from producing armchairs in clear styles to designing original models personally.