carlo moretti opens the doors to its first milan showroom

carlo moretti opens the doors to its first milan showroom
photo by ettore bellini

carlo moretti opens the doors to its first milan showroom on the occasion of the most anticipated design event of the year, milan design week. the space in via della spiga, 48 has been realized through the murano glass company’s own artistic direction, drawing distinct influences from ‘l’isola’, the first store that carlo and giovanni moretti set-up in camp san moisè, in venice in 1979.

designed by paolo martinuzzi, ‘l’isola’ was brought to life through the application of simple materials and basic lighting. the artist was able to capture the feeling of timeless civilization and age-old history, forming a backdrop in which the essence of carlo moretti’s traditions have been expressed in a way that showcases its approach to contemporary art and design.

now, 35 years later, the atmosphere of the original venetian showroom has been transported to milan, where the brand’s history is highlighted in a workshop-environment. here, elements and materials from a past time, such as furnaces and workbenches, are reemployed, complimented by sharp contrasts – the well-worn wooden floorboards, suspended metal sheets and bare, leaden walls. the industrial and opaque foundations form an ambiance that bodes well to highlighting transparency and density of the glassware displayed. in addition to the inauguration of the new space, carlo moretti presents the ‘MONOLITE’ exhibition that celebrates the work of the man himself, who passed in 2008.

CEO of carlo moretti manuel gomiero shares his thoughts on the opening of the milan retail and gallery, and sheds some light on some of the projects the company is working on that we can look forward to.

the atmosphere of carlo moretti’s original venetian showroom is transported to milan
photos by ettore bellini

why did you choose milan for your first showroom? will open other ones soon?

we wanted a location that could meet our strategies. this is a multi-purpose solution, as it serves as: a showroom to present new collections, to take part in the important events in milan (even in the fashion industry) and organize microevents; a shop where all those who look for excellence in this field can find it; a meeting point, because the showroom also has a meeting room we can use to meet industry professionals who seldom manage to come to murano, where our production plant is located (we use this space in milan as an office; our press office is in milan and here you can find our items and everything you need for photo shoots; last but not least, via della spiga is a world-renowned address, a location that adds value to our brand. as for the next openings, we are planning to open other single-brand shops, the first one being in kitzbühel, austria.

a stark white space and industrial elements act as a complementary backdrop to the glassware on show
photo by ettore bellini

what are the new projects that you will be presenting in 2014 and at the milan design week?

the acquisition occurred on 1 june 2013. after thinking a lot about it, in january 2014, we presented our new catalogue at the homi show in milan with a selection from our vast archives. we managed to include new colours to stress the idea of ‘change in the constant’ and we added two new items, singleflower and troncosfera. the venice-based tapiro design studio has taken care of the art direction, thanks to which we are carrying out research and selections that will lead to new products that we will present by the end of the year. we are also working with designer diego chilò, who is a great connoisseur of murano production processes and we plan to launch other collaborations with young designers. finally, we are lucky enough to have unseen projects and works in our archives, which tapiro studio will evaluate and, hopefully, develop.

photo by ettore bellini

at the end of 2014, you will publish a catalogue dedicated to lighting solutions. what is your development plan in the contract lighting industry?

as we have already done with other objects – from glasses to vases – after the furniture fair, we will start selecting lighting products from our archives. the catalogue will be divided into sections dedicated to carlo moretti, paolo martinuzzi, new designers and one called ‘guideline contract project solution’. we already rely on great competency in the lighting industry, thanks to the contribution of one of our partners, antonio ceschel. the goal is to develop relationships in the furniture and contract lighting world. to this end, we are very happy to have entered into a partnership agreement with poltrona frau.

storefront of carlo moretti’s first milan showroom
photo by ettore bellini

are you open to new collaborations?

yes, of course we are. I believe that working with other brands is an excellent opportunity and a great strategy to enhance the value of a brand at an international level. we are thinking about developing a ‘blue ocean’, but, for obvious reasons, I can’t tell you anything about it.
what I can say is that we will continue to focus on the company’s core business, i.e. glasses and goblets, and we will increasingly develop the furnishing and lighting sector. carlo moretti aims at protecting craftsmanship as a strong suit that allows us to go beyond mass production and to create a different relationship with our customers. I like the idea of ‘putting the factory at the disposal of our customers’ to help them find the best solutions that meet their requirements and create tailor-made and, therefore, unique projects.