What were the core brand values you wanted to communicate in this space?

For us it’s always the lifestyle of Molteni&C and Dada. It’s about ambience, like interior of a private villa – charming, sophisticated and also very modern with the creative direction of Vincent Van Duysen. That’s our philosophy. We work with many of the most prominent designers. It can sometimes be difficult to mix all the talents together. For this reason we chose Van Duysen to help us to create the right atmosphere.

What are the key products you’re showcasing in this space?

I would say Van Duysen’s Paul sofa is one. It’s the best seller in our upholstery division, and we’ve positioned it here near the door. Also the Van Duysen kitchen in the window. But we are also very strong in wardrobes, which you can see upstairs. The three main core areas of business for the company are wardrobes, sofas and kitchens.

How do buying preferences in South East Asia differ from or align with the preferences in other regions?

It’s not so different in reality because our consumers are quite similar all over the world. They’re always sophisticated people who love design, a certain atmosphere, and quality products. But maybe in this region there is more attention to marble and dark woods.

Molteni&C launched a heritage collection and the Molteni Museum back in 2015. What prompted the focus on heritage, and how were those heritage pieces selected?

It’s surprising – we didn’t expect so many sales. I think it’s a collection that links up with our standard products. It gives them more value. The combination of the heritage and new collections makes something special. We are very happy. We’ll continue to develop this heritage collection.

What do you think gives the heritage designs their enduring quality?

There are some works from the past that we still produce as we did in the past – it’s the same materials, the same techniques. We really respect the history.

You attended the recent Salone del Mobile in Shanghai. How was the reception to your stand, and what did you think of the fair overall?

I think it’s growing. This is the second year, and it was already better than the first year because there was a more appropriate audience. In the first year there were thousands of people, but most of them were manufacturers. This year I’ve seen a change – more interior designers, a little less people, but still a lot. I think its becoming better and better. I think the Salone del Mobile Milano are doing a very good job by exporting this kind of exhibition to China. We’ve already been present for many years in China. We have almost 15 stores, so it’s not that we find new clients at the fair. For us it’s more about connection with interior designers and brand awareness.

Where are your biggest markets for contract furniture?

The biggest market is the US, where we started 20 years ago with contract. It’s in the mentality of the people there to buy their houses with kitchens and wardrobes installed. There there are a lot of projects going on every year in New York, Miami, LA. The quantity and quality of projects is the best. For example now we are doing Jean Nouvel’s MoMA tower.

Above: Giovanni Molteni (Corporate Manager, Molteni&C) and Marco Piscitelli (General Manager, Molteni&C) (centre left and right), with showroom guests.

Are you able to give any hints about what we might see from M&C at the Salone del Mobile 2018?

Unfortunately I cannot say anything. It’s a secret. But we are working always with Vincent Van Duysen and Rodolfo Dordoni, and we also have some new collaborations with new designers that we expect to announce.

–

The two-floor Molteni&C|Dada flagship store with P5 is located at 63 Mohamed Sultan Road, and features the 2017 collection from the Salone del Mobile. Says Calvin Ngo, Vice President of P5: “Our partnership with Italy’s leading international furnishings company, the Molteni Group, gives us an opportunity to present luxury home furnishings that combine a long tradition of craftsmanship and technology to the local and regional market. We are excited for the privilege to represent the brands and look forward to building and strengthening this partnership for years to come.”

Stay tuned to find out more about exciting developments from P5. Says Ngo, “The launch of P5 showroom, together with our P5 Luminaire and newly established P5 Studio will bring together P5’s full range of interior design solutions under one roof. P5 will be an exceptional resource for homeowners, project clients and designers alike to shop, collaborate and co-create.”