HOTSPOT | The Far East, where things happen

by Roberta Busnelli

From India to Taiwan, Japan to New Zealand and everywhere in between, the Made-in-Italy name is still legendary, something people aspire to acquire and a status symbol to possess. We’re talking about the Far East, an immense land that Venetian merchant Marco Polo once saw as a place to be conquered, but which today is the destination of an ever-greater quantity of Italian goods (both material and intangible), acting as cultural and lifestyle ambassadors, a strong point of the Italian economy and its products.

The Chinese dragon, like a sort of El Dorado of furniture, is pulling more than its weight. In 2018, it was the Italian design industry’s seventh largest export market, worth half a billion euros. According to many experts in the sector, in just a few years it could become one of the top three, a market that all high-quality brands should be looking to. ‘Many of us are betting on Asia. It’s the continent where things happen’, explained Fabrizio Monachesi, Asia Pacific Sales Director of Giorgetti Group and Managing Director of Giorgetti Asia Private Limited, the subsidiary that was opened five years ago. ‘The projects are there, as are the financing and investments. Living and working here, I feel it even more. It’s the only continent that is still growing.’

In 2019, Federlegno’s exports to China increased 494% over 2018. In 2012, furniture was ranked 22nd in terms of Made-in-Italy products in the People’s Republic of China; in 2017, it was already in 17th place; and in 2020 it was fourth by sales volume. Forecasts for the future are even more encouraging. China has become the number one buyer of Italian goods, making up almost half of all international sales, which also grew in 2021, for a positive trend that shows no signs of stopping. The Giorgetti Group is fully on board, leading the pack. The brand’s presence in China currently includes 12 flagship stores, from Beijing to Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Foshan and Hangzhou, with even more openings in other metropolises expected in 2022 and 2023.

Beyond the borders of the giant nation, the Group has strengthened its visibility with three single-brand locations and four shopin-shops in South Korea (Seoul, Busan and Daegu) and three showrooms in Taiwan: one is already open in Taipei, while two more are planned for other cities. 2022 will mark the return of the brand to Japan, after 20 years away, with the opening of a flagship showroom in Tokyo. Monachesi is confident, speaking from his post in Singapore, a strategic observatory for the entire Asia-Pacific region: ‘Surely, for us, China is the main market. It’s the one that is driving the growth of the entire Asia-Pacific region, and which is leading us to previously unimaginable levels. Of course, 2020 was a tough year because China was the first country to shut down, sending the entire Far East crashing in a domino effect. But with numbers in hand, 2021 was Giorgetti’s best year in the region, in 124 years in business.’ The Chinese customers who choose fine Italian design (the true trailblazers and trendsetters of the future) are changing. They’re sophisticated, knowledgeable and can often identify true quality. Young, cultured, and well-to-do, this generation of consumers looks with interest to the best that Italy has to offer, seeking a more authentic and intimate way of experiencing the home and the objects in it. The stereotype of a ‘cheap and fast’ population has become a caricature by now, the result of an outdated, Euro-centric world view. Times change, though, and at lightning speed in China. ‘With its unique qualities and values, Giorgetti is now a brand that’s widely recognised in China’, Monachesi continued. ‘We’ve reached the 40-year-olds, and we’re getting ever closer to the 30-year-olds, the generation that studied abroad at the world’s best universities and is now managing the family business. It’s a segment that is more refined in terms of furniture design, that knows how to recognise details, materials, and even the complexities of craftsmanship. At least in the field of design, China continues to reach new cultural heights.’

Even a company’s history—the longer the better—carries weight in the value perceived by Asian consumers, and not just in China. ‘Japan is another country that appreciates and tends to highlight tradition. Companies that can boast an “emblazoned pennon” and which over time have proven to be successful surely have the upper hand.’ Japanese consumers have always been a hard nut to crack: they appreciate design tout court, without needing to show it. It’s simply in their DNA, much like Italians. Traditional Japanese aesthetics are age-old, confirmed today by numerous Pritzker prizes, ‘and the attention to detail is obsessive’, Monachesi stated. ‘They inspect the quality of each product in its every last detail, but the satisfaction you get is immense. Interacting with them is a pleasure. They know all about the history of design, better than many of us, and they effortlessly rattle off the names of Italian architects and designers. This level of care, love and knowledge goes perfectly with Giorgetti.’

One essential, strategic step for Made-in-Italy products to truly be successful in the Far East is the selection of reliable partners that are in step with the vision and style of the brand. Playing a key role in opening up the market, partners are the ones who connect the end consumer with the object and its value. ‘The solidity of the structure of our intermediaries, the availability of large showrooms to be able to display the entire Giorgetti lifestyle range, and the ability to interpret and represent the brand in the right way are the criteria we use to select our partners’, Monachesi continued. These Giorgetti-consumer ‘interfaces’ are all strategically placed in their relative markets, and all of them are attentive to contemporary luxury design. ‘It’s also important to select the right location, understanding if the city is ready for our products, if there are consumers who are informed about the world of fine design’, he added. ‘We tend to prefer central quarters, urban landmarks with art galleries, haute couture boutiques, fine watch shops, etc. We try to become part of “environments” that reinforce the idea that Giorgetti is an exclusive product.’

Though the future of Made-in-Italy design can be found in the Far East, Milan remains its undisputed international showcase. ‘The Salone del Mobile is fundamental for the Asian market. All of our partners come to the event, no exceptions’, Monachesi concluded. Backstage, behind that glittering showcase and far from the landscapes of the immense, recently won-over Far East, the areas of Brianza and Veneto, the quiet creators of all that beauty and mastery, scan the path to the Orient, perhaps incredulous at the long journey they have travelled. Hats off.