These days, in addition to Maison&Objet and Paris Déco Off (which we will discuss in specific articles), something else is happening in Paris, something with infinitely less resonance but which is a sign of the times: next to the historic Knoll showroom on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, a space designed by Florence Knoll and which has seen several hands intervene over time (those of Cini Boeri, for example), work has begun on the new MillerKnoll space. Which will probably merge with its neighbor, since the companies are now one (for those who do not remember, in April 2021 Herman Miller bought Knoll in a deal valued at $ 1.8 billion). A changing piece of history.
Knoll International France showroom, Paris
Mergers & acquisitions, a big topic in recent years. In Italy, where so much good design was born and continues to be born, a few months ago insiders greeted with surprise the acquisition by the Nemo Group of two brands with illustrious pedigrees such as Driade and FontanaArte, which joined Ilti Luce and Reggiani, companies acquired in 2020 and 2023 respectively. And in recent months, rumors have been circulating that another very important Made in Italy design brand may soon change hands as well.
Lampada da tavolo Fontana by FontanaArte, design Max Ingrand (1954)
Showroom Nemo Milano – Photo © Luca Rotondo courtesy Nemo Group
Ruben Modigliani – Photo © Valentina Sommariva
Can these companies, each with its own cultural background and specific way of operating, really maintain their identity once they join a group, perhaps together with other names operating in the same field? A company’s DNA is not just its archives. It is above all the way it builds, step by step, its present and its future. Will the brand identity, which is fundamental in any creative field, survive or be transformed? Both ways are possible. The world changes, it always has. The argument goes something else: I believe that only a system made up of truly diverse voices can prove valid and viable.
Straordinaria by we+ for Elica
Returning to Paris, a small side note: the calendar of events organized in the city during Maison&Objet is getting busier and busier, and this year it unceremoniously goes to occupy the first day of the fair, which is instead held at the Villepinte exhibition center near Roissy airport. Fuorisalone effect here too, with its pros and cons? Is the “diffuse fair” model (like Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign) the winning one? We will soon find out.
3daysofdesign, Copenhagen – Photo © Sophus Wolf
