Arno Glass : A hit
The famous Italian glassware is back under a Korean brand, and chose Who’s Next Home to launch its first European sales campaign.
By betting on an affordable approach to design, Who’s Next Home, a space inaugurated during the latest edition of Who’s Next, is already establishing itself as a meeting place for Fashion and Interior Design. The founders of Parisian agency Services Continu, Raphaël Deray and Florian Malfroy know something about it. At the trade show they represent the Korean brand Arno Glass, which re-edits the famous Arno glasses created by Italian designer Joe Colombo. But they also work with Fashion brands, to build bridges between the European and Korean markets. A “win-win” approach that proves the natural synergy between these two worlds. We had a chat with them on the Arno Glass booth.
Tell us the story of Arno Glass.
The brand bought Joe Colombo’s license and has developed the line in a more modern way, with an espresso cup, a latte mug… and also a new line named Frosted, with a sandblasting finishing that gives it a modern look. These are Korean products, entirely made by hand and 100% crystal, which always surprises customers because they are very thick and solid. They are everyday objects that are simple and minimalist and that you can use without fear of breaking them. We are very pleased with the success we’ve had so far on the trade show.
Why did you choose to present the brand here at Who’s Next Home?
We were also invited to another trade show, but we chose Who’s Next Home for its curation by Matter & Shape, which has a strong relevance in design. We also both come from a fashion background: Raphaël as Head of menswear buying at Printemps, and Florian as Merchandising Manager for La Samaritaine. So it made sense to integrate design into a textile environment.
How would you explain this increasingly significant overlap between Fashion and Design?
First of all, there has been a slowdown in retail and sales, which is probably driving Fashion to diversify a bit. But it’s also a matter of trends. Design has become an extension of textile: we dress in a certain way, we consume in a certain way, and we want our interior to reflect these ways of consuming.
Design today is where fashion was 15 years ago: becoming more visible and accessible. It’s no longer dedicated to connoisseurs. We look at how influencers dress, but how they live and what their interiors look like… Design is becoming a new way of standing out.
What are your expectations for this first edition?
It’s the first time that the products will be sold outside Korea, with an exclusive distribution. We are very excited to present them to the world and see that they are already very successful!
