French Italian Interview with Industry Publication

Recently Suzan Allen, CEO of French Italian was interviewed for an industry publication.

  1. Can you please tell us more about you?

    I am Italian and have a love for design and furniture. It is all about the ambiance and the beauty. I grew with the culture of art, music, and design. As an adult, my best friend was a very successful interior designer and that kept my love and passion alive for design. I am one of those people that when I am over at your house and you leave the room you can expect your furniture to be rearranged when you reenter. I have always been able to look at a space and see the style and character, as every space should have its own personality and individuality. That is the beauty of the design.

  2. Let us know a little bit more about your work.

    I am the founder and CEO of French Italian, an online retail boutique. We will be importing furniture from France, Italy, and Portugal that is unique and has a style that everyone will want in their home. I think everyone understands the concept of furniture and textiles from France and Italy, but why Portugal? Portugal has a unique touch with French and Italian inspired. This is because of the introduction of French manners and customs in Portugal during the tenth and eleventh centuries when the French immigrated to Portugal. Italians migrated and gradually assimilated into the Angolan Portuguese community. The first diaspora began around 1880, two decades after the Unification of Italy had ended. In the 1920s to early-1940s with the rise of Fascism in Italy and other issues such as poverty especially in the southern regions of Italy, this migration started creating the Italian influence.

    The concept for French Italian is simply this, when you look at modern and contemporary furniture from Italy and France today it is very similar, and when you look at the traditional and old world in French and Italian it too is very similar today. I wanted to bring Italy and France, and everything inspired, into the American home that exudes a style of elegance and simplicity. French Italian will be selling to the public as well as working with interior designers. What you see and buy online is what you can expect to get. We want our customers to have an incredible experience when purchasing from French Italian. This starting from the items that they choose – while shopping online, right down to the delivery into their home. A white glove experience if you will. French Italian strategy in marketing is created from the unique collections we will be selling to our customers and designers. I wanted these collections to be specific and unique in modern and contemporary and in the traditional and old world as well.

  3. How did you find Private Label Group?

    I have been familiar with Private Label for a while as they have a very high reputation in the realm of modern and contemporary furniture. I contacted the Private Label Company because they have the most beautiful collections in French Italian Inspired. The Private Label Company is an international Company and are right in the same ballpark as Baker Furniture. The quality and craftsmanship are unreal.

  4. What do you think about the group and which brand do you like the most?

    I do not think I can choose one collection over the other because they are all so different and unique. I love all the collections that Private Label has to offer. The Aster collection, Gold Castle collection, Outline collection and the Pardo collection are all just gorgeous. The Fairytale collection is magnificent, and I think it will do very well with designers, especially here in the United States. Designers will now have someone in the US that they can go to knowing that we are a true partner with the Private Label Company. We are very proud to be partnering with the Private Label.

  5. What are your favorite pieces and why?

    I would not even begin to be able to choose. Again, it is very French Italian inspired. All the collections and pieces are so unique and fabulous. I have too many favorites to choose from.