1927–1955
A Bologna beginning
Aldo Furlanetto founded the business in 1927, initially distributing accessories. The first Furla shop opened on via Ugo Bassi in 1955.
The House & Its Designers
Furla
Bologna · 1927
Italian leather goods with a clear shape and a confident use of colour.
Furla began as an accessories business in Bologna. Over successive generations it developed its own handbag collections, balancing recognisable hardware with straightforward, useful forms.
4 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1970s–1990s
A family label expands
The next generation introduced Furla-branded bags and accessories. International distribution followed, including expansion into Japan in 1990.
The bags
Colour in everyday use
Compact flap bags, totes and top handles form the core vocabulary. The Metropolis shows how a small bag and an identifiable clasp can become a recurring design platform.
The house in pictures
People, places and objects, with source credits.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founder
Aldo Furlanetto
Established the Bologna accessories business.
Later generations
The Furlanetto family and design studio
Developed the house’s own collections and international reach.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
- Metropolis
- A compact flap bag with the distinctive rectangular push-lock clasp.