Calligaris Inaugurates Flagship, Debuts New Capsule
MILAN — In a step to further strengthen the Calligaris brand identity, its parent company Orbital Design Collective has moved the century-old furniture maker to its own space on Via Turati 7, just steps away from the city’s Public Gardens.
The 2,160-square-foot flagship awash in calming earth tones, wood paneling and floors was designed by Milan’s Lualdi Meraldi studio and inaugurated on Tuesday. Fellow Orbital Design Collective brand Ditre Italia is now the sole occupant of the flagship Calligaris once co-occupied on Via Solferino in Milan’s upscale Brera neighborhood.
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With the opening, Calligaris unfurled a nature-inspired capsule of chairs and tables that included solid wood tables named Cartesio and Dogma and the Sweel and Holy Fab seats. The Dogma, for example, is finished with a luxe ceramic top with black and terracotta hued marble effect and wooden legs. Like many of the tables Calligaris is famous for, the Dogma is also extendible. On the ground floor, a living area showcased the coffee-colored Wave sofa and the Rio armchair, both recognizable for their rounded edges.
Calligaris was founded as a small craft workshop in the northern Italian town of Manzano by Antonio Calligaris a century ago. It is part of Orbital Design Collective, formerly known as the Calligaris Group, which was acquired by the Alpha private equity fund in 2018. Orbital Design Group is home to fellow upscale brand Ditre Italia and lighting brand Luceplan, in addition to more new generational brands like Connubia and Fatboy. Fatboy was founded in 2002 in the Netherlands and is known for its signature oversize bean bag designed by Finnish interior architect Jukka Setälä.
In 2022, Calligaris Group, as it was then known, posted a 8.3 percent rise in revenue to 250 million euros and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of 47 million euros. Seventy-three percent of its revenue is generated by exports, driven by a solid presence in the U.S., Japan, France, the U.K., Germany and Holland.
Orbital Design Collective’s new strategy is being spearheaded by chief executive officer Alexander Zschokke, who was appointed in May January 2023. During Zschokke’s career, he has held top positions as chairman of furniture firm Vitra and CEO of home solutions brand Franke, as well as vice president roles at both Salvatore Ferragamo and Bally.
