MILAN — B&B Italia Group’s parent company Flos B&B Italia is on a mission to sell off its galaxy of brands asset by asset, but the Italian furniture brand is pressing on with worldwide expansion plans.
“The new opening represents a significant step in the distribution plan of B&B Italia Group, which continues its path of global distribution expansion,” the company said in a statement.
Its latest monobrand store in Seoul was opened in collaboration with Duomo, a local partner. Located in the heart of Hakdong, a design district located in the bustling Gangnam area, the new showroom spans 10,763 square feet and also houses its upscale furniture brands Maxalto and Azucena. The store’s location facilitates interaction with the burgeoning design community, chief executive officer Demetrio Apolloni said. The new space will provide professional services for clients, architects and developers in the region, including design consultations for both residential and contract projects.
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“With our trusted partner Duomo, and with our heritage and passion, we aim to inspire and engage the local community of architects, interior designers and design lovers.” Testament to the rise in South Korean collectors and emerging design voices, Design Miami will unfurl its first event in the city with an exhibition to be held Sept. 1 to Sept. 14 in the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a landmark in Seoul.
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In an interview with WWD in December, Apolloni said store openings in South Korea, Japan and Australia were key to its strategy. In the U.S. — where there are stores in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and New York — the firm has introduced a new retail model in which fellow upscale brands Maxalto and Arclinea interact together under one roof. The new Boston location, in the Back Bay district, is a prime example of one of its directly operated stores that is emblematic of this new model. In Miami the group recently enlarged its B&B Italia Design Studio.
Interiors were curated by B&B Italia’s interior designer team. Unique to the Seoul location, walls were adorned with a cement effect for the indoor collections, while the space showcasing B&B Italia’s outdoor collections is distinguished by a metal structure with an exclusive clay color. The first floor dedicated to Maxalto features luminous walls covered in rice paper for a museum-like effect. The design culminates in a centerpiece that is a scenographic oval staircase that connects the ground and the first floors.
In July, the firm ended its agreement with Fendi Casa, when Milan-based Luxury Living Group said Fendi, which originally terminated its agreement with Luxury Living Group in 2021, has returned and signed an agreement for the production of its home line.
In 2021, Fendi and Flos B&B Italia, then known as Design Holding, formed Fashion Furniture Design, or FF Design, to develop the Fendi Casa business.
Flos B&B Italia Group also comprises Flos, Louis Poulsen, Lumens and Audo Copenhagen.