Moroso breathes art into living spaces

MANILA, Philippines - Italian premium furniture maker Moroso’s consistently brilliant success is the fruit of a business philosophy that ignores the rules and deliberately bucks the trend. Always designing out of the box, Moroso makes bold statements in its pursuit of new functions and forms.

Moroso was born from an idea by Agostino Moroso in 1952. Today, the company is a leader in the high-end market, and this is due to a history of constant experimentation, innovation in form and design, attention to detail and a strategic vision that embraces new developments that stimulate production and meet challenges.

The choice of making design a critical factor for success has certainly proven to be a winning card, thanks to Patrizia, the daughter of Agostino, and is now the creative director of Moroso. For over 50 years, Moroso has worked with a pool of designers, including Patricia Urquiola, Antonio Citterio, Edward Van Vliet, Ferrucio Laviani, Bibi Seck, Ayse Birsel and many more. As a result of innovation-driven research in technologies, materials and forms, Moroso today is a full-fledged design firm catering for the residential and contract markets all over the globe.

In Manila, Moroso has been received just as warmly, a delightful news to Joseph Tay and his wife Stephanie Michel Coyiuto-Tay, exclusive distributors of the furniture brand in the Philippines.

“It has been said that many new homes being built is the Philippines’ own version of the ‘Asian Modern,’ a vibrant fusion of the East and West,” says Joseph.

The vibrancy, richness and beauty of Africa provide inspiration for Moroso’s Bayekou outdoor chair by Bibi Seck and Ayse Birsel.

“For such homes, there is thus now a growing appreciation for premium quality furniture made in Italy but designed by the most talented artists from all over the world,” says Stephanie of Filipino buyers.

“Moroso pieces are created not only by Italians, but also by a Spanish architect, Dutch fabric designer, British sculptor and Japanese designer, among others. This design philosophy is something the eclectic Filipino homeowner can relate to,” muses Joseph.

The best example of the Moroso concept is Patricia Urquiola’s design style; her Phoenix Collection links the past to the present, function to material, detail to design, and craftsmanship to industrial production in the form of innovative objects. With this collection, Patricia turns her hand to modern shapes and manufacturing techniques as she interprets them with originality, introducing a modern, revolutionary new twist. These design concepts also reflect in her very elegant Malmo Collection — sofa, tray-coffee tables, chaise lounge, armchairs, unusual pouffes.

 Moroso pieces truly are the best examples of furniture design with the marriage of functionality, aesthetics & diverging cultural appreciation which are globally accepted & appreciated.

“Our strength lies in the flexibility of our designs. We have both traditional, streamlined and sophisticated pieces, as well as avant-garde designer furniture,” says Stephanie. “We have pieces that are stunningly colorful and whimsical and yet would still fit in a space filled with traditional or modern pieces.” 

One such sophisticated creation is Dutch fabric designer Edward Van Vliet’s Sushi collection. You’d immediately be struck by the patchwork pattern of the upholstery that is intensified by an embroidered interweave of geometric shapes, high-tech grilles, Spiro graph swirls and designs evocative of Moroccan damasks. However, if one is looking for a streamlined and somber-colored seats with a handsome, classic design, Antonio Citterio’s Novecento is one of the popular choices. The collection is practical and elegant with a settee and an armchair that have a light, discreet frame with comfortable seats in leather or fabric upholstery.

Patricia Urquiola’s luxurious Phoenix sofa hallmarks Moroso’s use of refreshing shapes and materials.

Further enriching Moroso’s all-embracing range of furnishings, the fruit of Moroso’s work with the young designers Christophe de la Fontaine and Stefan Diez is the colored tables and chairs from the Bent Collection. Inspired by 3D objects, the collection is made of powder-coated aluminum with a clear reference to a graphic idiom made up of faceting geometric shapes and functional punched holes. Another design that speaks for itself, which comes in contrast of forms and materials, is the bookcase collection called Hal, which was designed by the Kairos team. This complex composition features slanting spacers that give strength and create a strong visual effect, making the bookcase extremely recognisable and customisable.

Last year, Moroso introduced a hand-weaving technique employing the plastic threads traditionally used for making fishnets in Africa. This created the success of Tord Boontje’s Shadowy collection. The same technique is now used by Bibi Seck and Ayse Birsel who created a wide range of attractive, softly rounded products, such as the Bayekou chairs. Inspired by traditional Senegalese textiles and crafts, the chairs have vivid patterns and a soft, fluid shape, clearly referencing the formal qualities of woven textile. Designed for reclining, rocking and relaxing, the pieces best look in the den or outdoor gardens.

 “There’s a niche market for premium fine furniture. What Moroso offers is variety in that level,” Joseph says. “Such an audience is willing to invest in something that will give them a sense of pleasure, pride and a sense of individuality.”

Moroso pieces are intertwined with art, fashion and global culture. They are objects of desire. Working with a wide array of internationally recognized designers, Moroso truly creates valuable pieces of art expressed in furniture.

Visit the Moroso showroom located at the ground floor of AIC Burgundy-Empire Tower, ADB Avenue corner Garnet Road, Ortigas Center, or call 470-6250 and 470-1089 for inquiries.