MILAN — To better represent its next generation of clients and a diverse array of furniture and lighting brands, Italy’s Calligaris Group told WWD Thursday that it is re-branding and will be renamed Orbital Design Collective.
The new name will be accompanied by a redesigned logo that expresses its concept in graphics: planets, representing the different brands of the group, which orbit around a core nucleus. The company will make the official announcement at Milan’s hospitality trade fair Host Milano, which will run Oct. 13 to 17. The group added that its presence at Host Milano is part of a broader plan to highlight its strategic efforts in the contract sector.
“The rebranding will give us the opportunity to differentiate between the group and the brands. Especially in contract, with key accounts and in the financial community we will operate as Orbital Design Collective, while the individual brands will operate under their name in their respective markets,” group chief executive officer Alexander Zschokke said.
Zschokke joined the group in January. During his 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.
Calligaris was founded as a small craft workshop in the northern Italian town of Manzano by Antonio Calligaris, and it celebrates its centennial this year. The group, which was acquired by the Alpha private equity fund in 2018, is home to its upscale Italian furnishings brands Calligaris, Ditre Italia and lighting brand Luceplan, in addition to more new generational brands like Connubia and Fatboy. Fatboy, for example, which was acquired in 2021, was founded in 2002 in the Netherlands and was known for its signature oversize bean bag designed by Finnish interior architect Jukka Setälä.
Going forward, each individual brand will continue to develop their business within their own respective segments and markets with their own identity and their own teams, he explained. “By introducing a ‘neutral’ name for the group, we avoid a hierarchy between the brands and will make it easier to integrate new potential acquisitions in the future,” Zschokke added.
In 2022, Calligaris Group 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. Looking ahead, Zschokke listed softening demand from Northern Europe and the U.S., as well as high interest rates, inflation and a decline in interest rates as challenges for the entire furniture sector. Following “exceptionally strong demand in 2021, we see 2023 as a more normal year.”