Subverting the idea of formal furniture with its broad, squishy silhouette and its vibrant colors, the Squash armchair takes up big metaphorical space at NeoCon 2024.

A highlight of Poltrona Frau’s 2024 Imagine Collection, Squash is comprised of not only this big, beautiful chair, but also an accompanying mirror, side table, ottoman, and hand-knitted rug.

Each of these elements offers its own charm, but the chair is definitely the star of the show. Designer Faye Toogood calls it the “heroine of the collection.”

Constructed using Poltrona Frau’s 23-step leather tanning process, the upholstery is essentially blemish proof: “The leather is dyed through and surface scratches will not reveal the lining underneath.”

While it’s all good to have the technical details, the real allure here is the innovative shape. Squash features vibrant, rounded contours that lend it exceptional personality. And it’s an ideal fusion of Toogood’s English roots and Poltrona Frau’s Italian sensibility. “I’m thinking of this collection as English folk with Italian horsepower,” says Toogood.

The accompanying pieces have a horsepower of their own. The playful leather-outlined mirror and ottoman match the profile of the chair and the rug is a veritable work of art. Based on a hand-painted checkerboard pattern, the art metamorphoses into textiles via a traditional Berber knotting technique.

All told, Squash is a creative, joyful collection that challenges us to imagine manifold forms and how they may be translated into cherished objects. See the collection at the Haworth Showroom (The MART, #312) during NeoCon 2024.