2012 marks the Year of the Dragon – “which means metamorphosis, change and evolution – it is the theme for this year,” says Valerio Vestri, Moroso’s Export Area Manager. We’re both comfortably slouched on a large, cushy Diesel lounge, produced by Moroso – a piece which reflects Moroso’s versatility of style and ability to explore creative synergies with major brands from different industries.

Chubby Chic – Successful Living from Diesel with Moroso

Tiramigiu Sofa – Successful Living from Diesel with Moroso

For Moroso, a family owned company of almost three generations, “the main issue is to set the trends, define the limit and go beyond that limit,” says Valerio.

Moroso works with around 35 international designers. “They have different rules, heritage, attitude” – and therefore unique outcomes. “It’s a melting pot of different cultures all together.”

Gentry sofa by Patricia Urquiola

True to word, Moroso’s many collections – each so different from the other – excites the eye and stimulates the creative senses.

Heading up this multi-cultural portfolio of designers is Patricia Urquiola who, Valerio says, designs 40 per cent of the Moroso collection. “The collaboration started 15 years ago with the first collection called ’Step’.”

Patricia Urquiola

As the story goes, Urquiola, who at the time was unknown within the international design community, wanted to present her ideas to the inimitable Patrizia Moroso. So she knocked on the door, shared her concepts and sketches and the two immediately became friends.

Field sofa by Patricia Urquiola

Klara range by Patricia Urquiola

Redondo sofa by Patricia Urquiola

Every year Moroso presents around 20 new ranges of products, released as prototypes at the Milan Furniture Fair each April. Here they are tried and tested by customers and clients. “From those 20 more or less 50 per cent of what is shown will become product,” says Valerio.

From the testing grounds of Milan in 2011 came the Gentry collection by Urquiola – which Valerio describes as elegant and bourgeois. The fully resolved collection was presented at IMM Cologne in January, earlier this year.

At the 2012 Milan Furniture Fair (17 – 22 April), you can be sure that Moroso will have a fresh round of beautiful and inventive products to show. This constant process of experimentation and development has been a positive advantage for Moroso; their products hold appeal for all design tastes – whether it’s classic and conventional or ultra contemporary.

Memory by Tokujin Yoshioka

“We’re funky and design oriented, yes, but we also have collections from 30 years ago designed by Antonio Citterio [for example]. Here, “we can be elegant, sober and bourgeois. We can really face all kinds of requests.”

The Year of the Dragon represents a period of evolution for Moroso, with their focus set on developing their brand in South-East Asia. Fortunately for us in Australia we have direct access to some of their finest and most exciting products, which can be found through major distributor, Hub Furniture.

Moroso
moroso.it

Hub Furniture
hubfurniture.com.au