Two brands, two collections, two families, and a shared passion for design. A new chapter begins in the history of Acerbis, along a path full of opportunities for MDF Italia. After the latter’s acquisition of the historic trademark, the two have coexisted since October in the flagship store of MDF Italia in Milan, with over 600 m2 of display space, of which 250 are set aside for the new presence. At the entrance a temporary exhibit of original products from the Acerbis historical archives offers a tangible sign of this new situation. Iconic pieces found in some of the world’s most important museums and design exhibitions, including Solemio (1983), a luminous shelf with a rotating mirror, and Brooklyn (1977), a shelving bridge featuring a reticular beam between two pylons, with shelves suspended on slender steel ties, both designed by Lodovico Acerbis & Giotto Stoppino.
“For us, Acerbis represents a major opportunity” – says Franco Cassina, the fourth generation of the family, and Sales Manager for Italy of MDF Italia. “This is an operation of great prestige that brings together not just two renowned brands, but also two families that have written the history of design, sharing the same areas of expertise and values. The passion for design is the driving force behind this initiative. The challenge is to revive a historic brand like Acerbis on international markets. In 2020 Acerbis celebrates its 150th anniversary, with a focus on the historic collection as well as new pieces created by some of the most outstanding names in design, along with the more contemporary lines of the recent items of the collection, also based on the creative flair of young talents.”
For a company like Acerbis whose imperative has always been growth, opening up to collaborations to reach a different scale in order to compete on the global market has been a choice in line with a family tradition. In an increasingly globalized context, coming to terms with change means looking beyond the boundaries of a single company, with wide-ranging, farsighted vision. Hence the move towards MDF Italia, a stronger and more highly structured corporation with which to share kindred values of design and innovation. The operation will make it possible to support the growth of Acerbis on international markets, while permitting MDF Italia to develop and expand its own business across various areas of taste and commerce, constantly safeguarding the unique identities of the two brands. Enrico Acerbis, now the Acerbis Brand Ambassador for MDF Italia, after having directed the company over the last five years, explains: “Representing the fourth generation means being a spokesman for a historic legacy in the world of furniture, while being aware that like the generations before us, we need to be able to evolve, in order to meet the challenges of a continuously changing world”.
