Latest news with #MilanFurnitureFair
Yomiuri Shimbun
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Wajima Lacquerware Meets with Warm Reception at Milan Design Week, as Officials Plan to Grow Overseas Sales of Craft
The Yomiuri Shimbun Representatives from Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, explain lacquerware pieces at Milan Design Week in Milan on April 10. Officials from Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in April paid a visit to Milan Design Week, where they hope to start exhibiting Wajima lacquerware from next year. They were encouraged by the potential for expanded international sales of the craft, which was hard hit by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The focus of the event is the international Salone del (Milan Furniture Fair), which attracts about 300,000 visitors and involves more than 2,000 companies and designers. A wide array of designs and art are displayed at the fair. Milan Design Week is a key marketplace that draws buyers and retailers from around the world. Participating in these types of exhibitions can lead to significant international growth, as was experienced by Saga Prefecture's Arita porcelain. Officials from the Wajima municipal government and the Wajima Urushi Ware Cooperative Society stopped by venues displaying traditional crafts from Akita and Fukui prefectures. They were also seen explaining the more than 120-step production process for Wajima lacquerware and the techniques for decorating pieces with gold powder, holding up trays and bowls brought from Japan. A Swiss student praised the gloss and colors as beautiful and artistic, and said she wanted to see more examples of the craft. 'Even abroad, people can understand the high quality and appeal of Wajima lacquerware,' reflected Hidekuni Hosokawa, a senior official from the Wajima municipal government's global promotion office for lacquerware. 'We want to sell around the world.' 'We gained valuable insight for developing sales channels,' said Iwane Matsumoto, of the Wajima Urushi Ware Cooperative Society. 'It is crucial that we convey the unique characteristics of Wajima lacquerware in an easily understandable manner to an international market.' Wajima lacquerware, which has been described as 'durable and elegant,' depends on the advanced techniques of its craftspeople. However, the number of craftspeople fell from nearly 3,000 in the early 1990s to around 1,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline attributed to sluggish sales following the collapse of Japan's bubble economy. Workshops took another hit in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and the Wajima lacquerware cooperative now estimates that there are only about 600 people still working in the craft. Ishikawa Prefecture plans to open a training facility for young workers to ensure that the industry lives on. The committee overseeing the plan for the facility includes representatives from the government, industry, areas where lacquerware is produced, and The Yomiuri Shimbun. It has discussed developing sales channels overseas and pursuing creative rebuilding.
South China Morning Post
09-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Trump's ‘awful' tariffs leave Italy's luxury furniture sector scrambling to cushion blow
Even the most sumptuous cushions cannot ease the pain that Italian luxury furniture makers – gathered at their annual fair – can already feel from US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Advertisement Some companies at the Milan Furniture Fair, which opened on Tuesday, compare the sudden levies to a rampaging wrecking crew. But many are also determined to keep offering their prestige output in the hope that buyers in the key US market will stick with them. The United States is the Italian furniture industry's second-biggest market after France, accounting for 2.2 billion euros (US$2.4 billion) of its 19.4 billion euros of exports in 2024, according to industry figures. The 'geopolitical' factors, such as the new tariffs, 'will certainly have long-term repercussions,' the fair's president Maria Porro said. About 10 per cent of all Italy's exports go to the US, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will go to Washington on April 17 in a bid to ease the impact of the 20 per cent tariffs imposed on European Union products. Advertisement Some furniture firms said it is too early to know how much damage can be expected from the tariffs that have shaken global markets.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump tariffs leave Italy's luxury furniture makers sitting uncomfortably
Even the most sumptuous cushions cannot ease the pain that Italian luxury furniture makers -- gathered at their annual fair -- can already feel from US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Some companies at the Milan Furniture Fair, which opened Tuesday, compare the sudden levies to a rampaging wrecking crew. But many are also determined to keep offering their prestige output in the hope that buyers in the key US market will stick with them. The United States is the Italian furniture industry's second-biggest market after France, accounting for 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) of its 19.4 billion euros of exports in 2024, according to industry figures. The "geopolitical" factors, such as the new tariffs, "will certainly have long-term repercussions," the fair's president Maria Porro told AFP. About 10 percent of all Italy's exports go to the United States, and Prime Minister Georgia Meloni will go to Washington on April 17 in a bid to ease the impact of the 20-percent tariffs imposed on European Union products. Some furniture firms say it is too early to know how much damage can be expected from the tariffs that have shaken global markets. "We made it through Covid, we had the war in Ukraine and lost Russian clients, but we survived," said Nicola Fagetti, finance director of the Parma company La Contessina, which prides itself on producing a modern version of Italian renaissance styles. "We are now facing tariffs, but we always find a solution," he said stoically. US sales account for 35 percent of his company's made-to-order exports. Emmanuel Antonello, marketing director for Villari, a luxury brand whose tables can cost more than $20,000, is also refusing to panic. "The United States accounts for 20 percent of our exports, but we can still count on our sales in the Middle East, our primary market with a 60 percent share," he said. And he's banking on customer loyalty across the Atlantic: "Americans are fascinated by Italian design -- there's a 'Wow!' effect when they see our products; for them, they're gems." - Absent Americans - But there are few Americans roaming the fair this year, while they were the sixth-largest foreign contingent in 2024. "I will lose a lot of my clients. I think the tariffs are going to be enormously awful for trade," said interior designer Allison Muir, a 48-year-old from San Francisco and a fan of the late Italian designer Gio Ponti. "Italian design can really relax the mind and create a place to really reflect. And I think that's what a lot of my clients are looking for in the frenetic Silicon Valley," she said. Upset with Trump's policies, she is considering leaving the United States and settling with her family in Seville, Spain. A decline in exports to France (-3.3 percent) and Germany (-6 percent) already helped drag down the Italian furniture industry's revenues last year by more than two percent to 27.5 billion euros. "Even though some emerging markets are growing, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, they are still unable to make up for traditional markets," said Porro, the fair's president. Turning to trends at the 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile, she said clients are increasingly interested in sustainability and a return to nature. "In a period of instability like the one we are experiencing now, people prefer natural, bright and warm shades," she said, adding that the border between design and art is increasingly blurred. The giant show, open until Sunday, has 2,103 exhibitors, with more than a third from outside Italy. Last year, it attracted 370,824 visitors from around the world, a 20 percent increase on 2023. bh/nth/gv/tw/rjm
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump tariffs leave Italy's luxury furniture makers sitting uncomfortably
Even the most sumptuous cushions cannot ease the pain that Italian luxury furniture makers -- gathered at their annual fair -- can already feel from US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Some companies at the Milan Furniture Fair, which opened Tuesday, compare the sudden levies to a rampaging wrecking crew. But many are also determined to keep offering their prestige output in the hope that buyers in the key US market will stick with them. The United States is the Italian furniture industry's second-biggest market after France, accounting for 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) of its 19.4 billion euros of exports in 2024, according to industry figures. The "geopolitical" factors, such as the new tariffs, "will certainly have long-term repercussions," the fair's president Maria Porro told AFP. About 10 percent of all Italy's exports go to the United States, and Prime Minister Georgia Meloni will go to Washington on April 17 in a bid to ease the impact of the 20-percent tariffs imposed on European Union products. Some furniture firms say it is too early to know how much damage can be expected from the tariffs that have shaken global markets. "We made it through Covid, we had the war in Ukraine and lost Russian clients, but we survived," said Nicola Fagetti, finance director of the Parma company La Contessina, which prides itself on producing a modern version of Italian renaissance styles. "We are now facing tariffs, but we always find a solution," he said stoically. US sales account for 35 percent of his company's made-to-order exports. Emmanuel Antonello, marketing director for Villari, a luxury brand whose tables can cost more than $20,000, is also refusing to panic. "The United States accounts for 20 percent of our exports, but we can still count on our sales in the Middle East, our primary market with a 60 percent share," he said. And he's banking on customer loyalty across the Atlantic: "Americans are fascinated by Italian design -- there's a 'Wow!' effect when they see our products; for them, they're gems." - Absent Americans - But there are few Americans roaming the fair this year, while they were the sixth-largest foreign contingent in 2024. "I will lose a lot of my clients. I think the tariffs are going to be enormously awful for trade," said interior designer Allison Muir, a 48-year-old from San Francisco and a fan of the late Italian designer Gio Ponti. "Italian design can really relax the mind and create a place to really reflect. And I think that's what a lot of my clients are looking for in the frenetic Silicon Valley," she said. Upset with Trump's policies, she is considering leaving the United States and settling with her family in Seville, Spain. A decline in exports to France (-3.3 percent) and Germany (-6 percent) already helped drag down the Italian furniture industry's revenues last year by more than two percent to 27.5 billion euros. "Even though some emerging markets are growing, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, they are still unable to make up for traditional markets," said Porro, the fair's president. Turning to trends at the 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile, she said clients are increasingly interested in sustainability and a return to nature. "In a period of instability like the one we are experiencing now, people prefer natural, bright and warm shades," she said, adding that the border between design and art is increasingly blurred. The giant show, open until Sunday, has 2,103 exhibitors, with more than a third from outside Italy. Last year, it attracted 370,824 visitors from around the world, a 20 percent increase on 2023. bh/nth/gv/tw/rjm
Local Italy
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Italy
What's on in Italy: 11 events to look forward to this spring
Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, Rome, March 7th-July 6th The National Galleries of Ancient Art and Galleria Borghese have partnered up to offer one of the largest-ever displays of Caravaggio's works this spring as part of celebrations for the Catholic Church's Jubilee year. Held in Rome's Palazzo Barberini, the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition will feature over 20 artworks by the Italian master, including paintings never before displayed in Italy, such as Ecce Homo and Martha and Mary Magdalene, loaned by Madrid's Prado Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts respectively. The exhibition will open on March 7th and close on July 6th. More information about times and tickets can be found here. Almond Blossom Festival, Agrigento, March 8th-16th The Almond Blossom Festival (or Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore in Italian) is an annual event held in Agrigento, southwestern Sicily, to mark the arrival of spring and the blooming of almond trees. Originally started in the 1930s, the festival transforms the city into a vibrant scene of folklore, live music and cultural traditions every March. This year's programme features performances from folk bands, colourful parades and food stands giving visitors a chance to sample local almond-based delicacies. Rome Marathon, March 16th The 2025 edition of the Rome marathon will take place on Sunday, March 16th. The 42-kilometre race will start on Via dei Fori Imperiali at 8.30am, with runners passing by some of the city's most famous landmarks – from Piazza Navona to Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican – before crossing the finish line at the Circo Massimo. Another event will take place on the same date: the Run4Rome relay race, which allows teams of four people to collectively cover the full marathon distance by running one of four race segments each. Further details can be found on the marathon's website. Vinitaly, Verona, April 6th-9th This annual Verona-based fair draws producers and buyers from around the world for several days of talks, tastings and workshops. A man pours a glass of wine during the 50th edition of the Vinitaly wine exhibition in Verona in 2016. Photo by VINCENZO PINTO / AFP While Vinitaly itself is an event for industry professionals, its spin-off Vinitaly and the City, held in the days leading up to the main fair (April 4th-6th) specifically caters to amateur oenophiles. You can find more information about Vinitaly here. Milan Furniture Fair, April 8th-13th If you're short on inspiration on how to decorate your new Italian home or simply like to keep up with the latest home design trends, the Milan Furniture Fair (or Salone del Mobile) – a yearly benchmark event for the international furnishing and design sector – may just be what you're looking for. The event will run from April 8th to April 13th at the Rho Fiera complex. Access will be limited to industry professionals from April 8th to April 11th, and open to all on Saturday, April 12th, and Sunday, April 13th. Tickets can be purchased here. Fuorisalone (literally, 'outside the fair') – a series of smaller shows, events and parties held across the northern city – will run parallel to the main furniture fair. Explosion of the cart, Florence, April 20th All of Italy will be celebrating Easter Sunday on April 20th, but only Florence will do so by blowing up a cart right in front of its cathedral in what's known as scoppio del carro ('explosion of the cart'). Every year, a two-story cart full to the brim with fireworks is pulled from the Church of Santi Apostoli to the central Piazza Duomo by four white oxen followed by a crowd of people dressed in 15th-century garb. There, a dove-shaped rocket flies into the cart via a cable, setting off a spectacular fireworks display overhead. The 'explosion' generally takes place at around 11am. No booking is required. Rome birthday celebrations, April 21st Italy's capital celebrates the anniversary of its founding on April 21st every year (legend has it that the first king of Rome, Romulus, ploughed the city's boundaries on April 21st, 753 BC). The 2025 programme hasn't been unveiled yet, but celebrations generally include talks with historians and writers, art exhibitions and historical reenactments, including a traditional parade of centurions marching through central Rome. Happy birthday, Roma! 🎂 Here is my video of the day in Rome on April 21: Forum, Atrium Vestalium for the Parilia, Fori Imperiali procession, Circus Maximus spectacle! Watch! #nataledirome #roma753 @Gru_Sto_Romano @_MiBACT @museitaliani @SaveRome — Darius Arya (@DariusAryaDigs) April 20, 2020 Giro d'Italia, May 9th-June 1st This year's Giro d'Italia will start in Durres, Albania, on May 9th and pass through two other Albanian cities (Tirana and Vlore) before returning to Italy. Once in Italy, riders will weave their way up across the peninsula from Lecce, Puglia, riding through cities, lakes and mountain ranges all over the country on the way. Rome will once again host the closing stage of the Giro, with the riders set to cross the finish line on Via dei Fori Imperiali. If you're in Naples on May 15th, Siena on the 18th, Modena on the 22nd, or Rome on June 1st, you'll have the opportunity to see a leg of the race in person. More information is available here. Venice Architecture Biennale, May 10th-November 23rd Curated by architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, Venice's 19th International Architecture Exhibition will focus on the evolving role of architecture in response to climate change, calling on architects to harness a variety of intelligences – natural, artificial and collective – to rethink their designs' impact on the environment. Displays will be spread across two venues: the Central Pavilion at the Biennale Gardens and the Arsenale complex. Turin Book Fair, May 15th-19th The Salone Internazionale del Libro in Turin is Italy's largest book fair and will once again be held in the Lingotto Fiere exhibition space. The event brings more than 1,000 publishers to the Piedmont capital. While open to anyone (not just publishers and editors), this is primarily a commercial trade fair; so if you're looking for something on a smaller scale, literary festival Una Marina di Libri ('A Shore of Books') will take place in Palermo from June 6th to June 9th. More information on the Turin Book Fair can be found here. Infiorata di Noto, May 16th-20th The Infiorata di Noto sees the main street of this Baroque southeastern Sicilian city decorated with a carpet of colourful blossoms stretching for over 700 square metres in total. The event will unfold over four days – from May 16th to May 20th. According to the Noto town hall's website, access to the display will cost €5. This year's event will celebrate themes of peace and hope. l'incantevole infiorata di noto, sicilia — James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) June 29, 2022
