Andrea Molteni, director of product development at Molteni&C|Dada, talks about the first flagship store in Dubai and how design scene is becoming more global

Tell us something about the brand?
The brand was founded in 1934, by my grandfather, and we have been in the design business ever since. We have four different companies that are active in all fields of interior design, from residential furniture with Molteni&C, to kitchens with Dada, to office furniture with Unifor and Citterio. We have always aimed at being at the forefront of technical innovation combined with timeless design elegance.

Is this your first flagship store in the region?
It is actually the first one with our new partner— Vivente Luxury Living. We have been active in the past in the region but surely this next step is the most important so far. We have found a partner that fully shares the view of the brand and we are sure that this will bring great results. The new store is gracious and fluid, providing guests with the opportunity to experience a sequence of evocative settings. It is located on Jumeirah Street, Umm Seqeim. The whole interior design range is represented to enable visitors to satisfy whatever home interior requirements they may have, from kitchens to dining rooms, living rooms to bedrooms and plenty of premium interior accessories – each carefully styled showcasing a wide array of products. Its open architectural plan serves as a perfect backdrop for the latest Molteni&C|Dada offerings. Collections include designs by Vincent Van Duysen, Rodolfo Dordoni, Ron Gilad, Foster+Partners, Jean Nouvel and Patricia Urquiola, among others.

What do you think about the furniture market here when compared to other countries?
Today, I believe that the design scene is becoming more and more global. Surely local markets might have specific needs or tastes, but I am always more convinced that a real global take on design taste is what the future will hold. Having said this, the Middle East market is proving to be more and more at the forefront of design, especially looking at the quality and level of residential projects.

Are you developing some special products for the Middle East region?
As I said previously, today we design and develop products for a global design-savvy clientele, therefore the products are designed and engineered to match a global taste. We pay special attention to selecting a wide range of finishes, colours, textiles, and materials in order to give to possibility to match local tastes and personalise the product offer.

Decode some design trends, which are here to stay?
For sure we think that one of the most effective aspects of products and design will be quality. For a long period, the design industry is been hungry for novelty effects, maybe forgetting a little that furniture is durable and long living goods. A table should be designed to last in time, both in design aesthetics and in product quality. Also, I think that a trend that will stay for the long term will be the integration of furniture and design items in the architecture and interior design space. A furniture is a tool to actually define interior space, rather than objects that fill an empty room.

How important is sustainability for you?
Sustainably is surely an aspect that we have in mind when we design products or think about our manufacturing processes. For us, designing and manufacturing in a sustainable way is doing so in an “intelligent” way, and we have been doing so even before this aspect was used as a marketing tool. The use of mechanical fixings, sustainable and recyclable materials, the reduction of waste and energy for producing goods is always been at the core of our design process.

How important is e-commerce for the brand?
Concerning the e-commerce, it is a project that will be launched next year only for specific product categories and in specific countries