Camaleonda, an innovation by Mario Bellini

Camaleonda immediately recalls the image of the iconic sofa designed by Mario Bellini.

The timelessness of this product is confirmed by the successful re-release in 2020, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its birth. The new production was always created in collaboration with the architect and designer who left the shapes almost unchanged (further demonstrating their success), to focus on new materials in the use of padding.

The name, as Bellini himself explains, was created by him to explain the concept behind his idea: “Camaleonda is a neologism that I invented in 1970 by crossing two words: the name of that extraordinary animal which is the chameleon capable of adapting to the environment in which it finds itself and the word wave which indicates the curves of the sea and the desert. Both of these words describe the form and function of this session.”

On the threshold of the Seventies, a historical moment of great social and cultural changes, Bellini wanted to propose furniture that was able to adapt to the new concept of domestic space and the natural evolution that it had undergone in those years.

The living room takes on ever greater centrality in the home, as a meeting place for families and a space that must be enjoyed by them. Here then Camaleonda presents itself as furniture capable of guaranteeing design and comfort, capable of modifying itself according to constantly changing needs.

The extraordinary success of this sofa is in fact due to its modularity, a feature that immediately established itself as a cornerstone in the panorama of not only Italian but also international design. This peculiarity fully reflected Bellini’s thoughts, allowing continuous modifications and transformations in the space, based on different tastes and needs.

The sofa, made up of a 90×90 seat module, backrests and armrests, features a system of cables, rings and hooks specially designed by Bellini, which guarantee its modularity.

The basic geometric concept was expertly mediated by the wavy shapes that give the sofa its name and which recall natural landscapes, as stated by the designer himself. The linearity of the structure is therefore reconciled by the soft profile of the polyurethane padding and the fabric which create the characteristic capitonné, making the silhouette of the sofa unmistakable.

In addition to its modularity, its shapes also contributed to making it a highly sought-after piece, then as today, highly sought after not only by collectors, but also by amateurs and interior decorators.

Precisely the possibility of adapting it to different needs still makes the Camaleonda a sofa that is well suited to being used by set designers, thanks to its possibility of configuring a sofa to all intents and purposes according to personal needs. It is also not uncommon to find it on social media, in the photographic shots of international stars, such as Rhianna in her promotional campaign for the launch of the Savage x Fenty fashion show or the artist Daniel Ashram.