Lidia Bersani has a penchant for designing luxury villas and apartments in the most tastefully sumptuous, gold-gilded way possible in shades of ivory, off-white, cream and furs. A delightful measure of Swarovski crystals thrown in for ensures the dreamy rooms shimmer with opulence. Lidia is noted for her work among her rather elite clientele and purveyors of luxury.
Her signature design aesthetics is quite distinctive. But why stick to just these shades? “I love these colours and their combinations. These are colors, which almost everyone likes, consciously or not. The soft ivory toned are timeless and fashionable. You never get bored of these colors when infused into the décor; they make the ambience very cosy, warm and feminine.”
She shot to global fame earlier this year after she did the unthinkable: she sailed into unchartered territory. Lidia dreamed up ‘La Belle,’ an uber luxurious mega-yacht designed with women in mind. The highlight? This luxury toy that costs a whopping €250mln (approx.) comes with its own gold-hued chopper. Decadent? Yes. Tasteful? Definitely.
But what prompted Lidia to design a luxury mega-yacht? “Yachts are designed to be beautiful and luxurious, but unfortunately the focus is on entertainment, sports and tastes that are male-specific – and are almost always designed by men. Moreover, designing a yacht is a very complex process and, today, it is an absolutely male-dominated field. No super yacht has ever been dedicated or designed for women. I felt that I had to design something for women, wherein you could see a woman’s touch in terms of design aesthetics and detailing,” says Lidia.
Designing ‘La Belle’ was a challenge nevertheless, she adds. “It took me a long time and, during the course of design, I had to learn a lot about the technical aspects of luxury yachts. Yet it was a very interesting and a hugely enriching experience,” she observes.
Poland-born Lidia set up her namesake luxury interior designing company in Monte Carlo nearly 10 years ago. The technical aspects she learned at her engineering college helped her as she continued to learn about design all by herself. “I created my own style of design,” says Lidia. “I was never under the influence of any designers or teachers of design schools.”
Perhaps that is why her design style is inherently different. It is independent, unique and very Lidia Bersani. In the beginning, she focused only on design and moved on to furniture and décor objects. Gradually, the scope of her work became bigger and Lidia began working with factories in Europe to ensure her collections retained impeccable quality.
The next logical step was launching a line of home textile decorations and, to get things moving, Lidia rolled out production from her two small factories in Italy and Poland. “We designed and produced mostly for our clients, for individual order. This is why all our products are very unique, top quality and handmade with attention to even the smallest of details,” she says.
As with all companies, success leads to growth. Lidia’s company grew by leaps and bounds and soon it became a challenge to keep up with the increasing demand with each passing year. “This is why we are now expanding our factory in Italy and venturing into the open public market next year,” she adds. This designer-entrepreneur draws her inspiration from women: beautiful, powerful, successful women. “It is for them that I design. Though majority of my clients are men, it is the women who give me new inspirations,” explains Lidia, who is currently working on a new women’s fashion line. What’s the most exciting part of her job? “I like being able to surprise my clients. I try to design a lot more and work on varied projects, items and decorations. Sometimes, I surprise myself with my new ideas,” she says, laughing. “This is what is most exciting for me; you never know today what ideas you can find tomorrow.”
Lidia’s strong personality ensures she doesn’t go into meltdown mode in the wake of challenges. “I think I look very far ahead and understand my clients really well. I try and learn about their wishes and dreams, while working with them. I believe that to be able to design, it is important to know how to open up your imagination,” says Lidia, who with her impeccable talent and unflinching perseverance has chartered a path to success.
Open up your mind, forget about limits and dream up the biggest plans that allow your imagination to soar unfettered … step-by-step, work towards realizing it.