Allan and Bo Hjelt Art Foundation had the great honour to welcome Mr. Leonardo Ferragamo, Chairman of Nautor Swan, to give an inspirational design talk on Finnish-Italian collaboration in Helsinki in March.

A Swan is a Swan

Over the years, the passion for yachts, racing and the sea has been a great source of inspiration for Mr. Ferragamo. Therefore, it was not surprising to learn that the first Finnish design product that he bought was a Swan yacht. 

Mr. Ferragamo gave an inspirational speech of what led him to transform Nautor into a world leading yacht brand. The talk was followed by a discussion with the Finnish journalist Mr. Peter Nyman about the fusion of Finnish craftsmanship and Italian design and how the two worlds have found a common expression in the Nautor Swan products. 

Design Ambassador for the Italian Design Day 2023 in Helsinki

Leonardo Ferragamo is Chairman of Nautor Swan, Honorary Consul of Finland in Florence for the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. He is engaged in the renowned Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo. As a Design Ambassador for the Italian Design Day 2023 in Helsinki, he visited The Design Museum Helsinki on 22 March 2023 to give a design talk around Finnish-Italian collaboration.

The Italian Design Day is an initiative to celebrate Italian design, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. The global theme for the event in 2023 is “The quality that illuminates. The energy of design for people and the environment”. 

Allan and Bo Hjelt Art Foundation would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Leonardo Ferragamo, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Institute of Culture in Helsinki, and the Design Museum Helsinki for joining us in encouraging future Italo-Finlandese success stories and for making the Italian Design Day 2023 in Helsinki a memorable event.