Italian Furniture-maker Porro Makes Its U.S. Debut
MILAN — Porro, the Italian furniture firm known for its sleek designs with a dash of quirkiness, has finally landed in the U.S.
On Wednesday, the company opened its new showroom on 31 East 31st Street and Madison Avenue in partnership with West I Out East, a multibrand design hub that has a presence in New York City, the Hamptons, Westport, Conn., and Miami.
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Located in the heart of New York City’s NoMad area, Porro is the latest Italian furniture company to join a wave of Italian peers like Poltrona Frau, Cappellini, Minotti, Molteni&C, Rimadesio, Luxury Living, B&B Italia, Natuzzi and Flos B&B Italia Group (formerly Design Holding) in the booming design district.
“Our daily obsession is leveraging the most advanced and sustainable technologies alongside the human touch of a nearly century-old heritage to shape the forefront of design innovation, creating interiors that are both contemporary and enduring,” said Maria Porro, who is the president of premier design fair Salone del Mobile.Milano and who is also the current marketing and communications director of the family-run furniture firm her great-grandfather Giulio started with his brother Stefano in 1925.
Porro was founded in the furniture heartland of Brianza, Italy, as a workshop that aimed to cater to the growing appetite for design furniture driven by Milan’s economic growth and reputation as a cultural epicenter.
Since 1989 the artistic direction of Porro has been guided by architect Piero Lissoni, in a constant dialogue with Maria Porro’s father Lorenzo, the company’s president.
Lissoni not only oversees product development but also helps drive the brand’s international growth, curating flagship showrooms worldwide to present Porro’s approach to design. Over the past century, designers like French architect Jean Marie Massaud and the late Bruno Munari and Alessandro Mendini have contributed to Porro’s collections.
“We are able to truly showcase the Porro house and renew this important dialogue between America and Italy,” Lissoni said, emphasizing the dynamism of the NoMad neighborhood.
Through two street-facing windows, the new showroom was styled like a “grand” urban home by West Chin Architects & Interior Designers. Inside, furniture and systems were arranged in a variety of narrative forms that emulate modern lifestyles.
Throughout the showroom, signature designs like the Ferro low table by Lissoni and the Kite Sofa by deign forward firm GamFratesi punctuate the new space.
Italian nonprofit organization Cooperativa Alice, which rehabilitates incarcerated women by training them in textile-making and tailoring, also took part in the opening. Porro wardrobes were adorned with tailored garments from the Milan-based cooperative.
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