Yahoo Finance Minotti Opens Fourth Japan Store in Kobe
MILAN — Minotti, the Italian luxury furnishings company famous for sleek designs like its Van Dyck table and Hamilton sofa, has opened its fourth store in Japan, in Kobe.
In an interview Thursday, Minotti co-chief executive officer Roberto Minotti said the firm opened its doors in the country 20 years ago, with the help of its local partner Sukeno, and that reinforcing its presence in Japan is a priority. The 4,521-square-foot flagship, its first in Kobe, is situated on 27 Naniwa-machi, Chuo-ku. The design was conceived and developed by Minotti Studio and embraces the local cultural heritage and themes like zen minimalism.
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“The Japanese market has always been of great interest to us, with a clientele that is increasingly sophisticated, looking for unique designs, made with the highest Italian quality,” he said.
The company’s strong bond with the Japanese market has resulted in the incorporation of two Japanese designers into its creative team over the years. In 2018 Minotti added Oki Sato of Studio Nendo and in 2022, Kyoko Inoda of Inoda+Sveje.
“They have allowed us to explore new stylistic horizons and give life to a series of furnishing projects characterized by lightness of form, sophisticated tailoring, refined cabinet-making and timeless elegance,” Minotti explained.
Minotti’s father, Alberto, started a small-scale artisan workshop in 1948 and quickly saw it rise to an industrial reality during the boom of the 1960s. Roberto now runs the company side by side with his brother, Renato (as well as the third generation members of the Minotti family), and the two have been credited with pioneering growth and international expansion since their father’s death in the ’90s. The firm continues to develop its presence in the Middle East, where its first flagship stores will open in the near term in both Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Its Mumbai location opened last October.
Across the board, interior brands are focusing on smaller cities like Kobe, since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted consumers of luxury goods to search for larger houses and more outdoor space generally found in areas outside the traditional metropolises.
Since last year, other Minotti openings included cities like Shenzhen and Chongqing in China; Seoul; Lisbon; Dusseldorf; Casablanca; Morocco, and Tunis, Tunisia.
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