Richard Ginori: The story so far
Part 2
Last week we left you with the curiosity to know the follow-up of Richard Ginori Manufactures history. We stopped our narration in the historical moment which Ginori Porcelain in Doccia merged with the Richard Ceramics Company in 1896, acquiring the historic establishment in Doccia and the shops in Florence, Bologna, Turin, Rome and Naples.
The cultural scene is lively and characterized by the birth of symbolism, the belle epoque, the Art Nouveau style, cabaret and Mucha's first advertising graphics.
The new century is also represented by a series of mechanical and decorative innovations even though the real turning point, which will mark the success and affirmation of the company's image, arrives in 1923, when Gio 'Ponti takes the reins of the artistic direction creating revolutionary lines and collections.
But who was Gio 'Ponti? For Milanese people there is no need for introductions. Milan, the Italian capital of design, is full of historic buildings, monuments and design objects created by the great master. In the early 1920s Gio' Ponti wins the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris with his ceramics based on classical and oriental themes. This is how "chains" and "labyrinth" were born, two of the most famous and ancient decorations that we can still find on our tables today.
The 40s and 50s, thanks to Giovanni Gariboldi, show the success of porcelain as a material to be used in everyday life. The focus is the essential blended with functionality, creating a unique refinement in that historical moment. It is the period of "manufacturing 1946" in which "feathers, flowers and geometries enrich plastic lines and light volumes. The precious porcelain, made with the artisanal casting technique, gives life to pure elegance, which will illuminate any room, transforming your home into a temple of eternal beauty. " [1].
The following years marked a difficult phase for the company, punctuated by a series of mergers, disposals and changes at the top that will lead, in 2012, to an unbridgeable financial crisis from which it will emerge thanks to the acquisition by Gucci group, now Kering Group, in 2013.
Since then, the brand has returned to its glory with the reopening of the museum, the presentation of some new collections conceived by prominent designers such as Luke Edward Hall who designed "The journey of Neptune" or "Oriente Italiano" by Fabrizio Cocchi, a collection which is inspired by orient but with decidedly more modern and colorful lines, suitable for mix and match.
But what’s in Richard Ginori's present and future? We recently have seen the total rebranding which, among other things, led to the change of the brand name: Ginori 1735, presented in elegant handwritten characters, is a reminiscent of the 30s and 40s of the last century. However, the logo, a trademark of tradition and originality of every creation that we find on our tables, didn’t change. The purpose, according to CEO Alain Prost, is to focus more on the brand legacy but with a more international outlook.
On a technological side, on the other hand, joining WeChat has led the brand into the fantastic world of shopping in Mainland China, thus strengthening the image of a luxury brand for the table. In addition, through its account, Ginori 1735 can send weekly push messages to users in the form of real articles, with clickable content, animations, external and internal links to WeChat. The Account also has a series of API interfaces (Application Programming Interface, or applications that simplify the possibility of dialogue between an application and the other ed) that allow Ginori 1735 to integrate many more functions, including analysis of users, loyalty and social CRM and e-commerce activities.
Our story ends here, between ancient and modern, past and future, tradition and innovation. It’s not only the story of the birth and evolution of a brand that we all know, but also of how design, which many of us consider far from the crowd, is so close to everyone every day.
1 comment
As always I am a big fun of your great Italian tales and the beauty and hard work behind this incredible evergreen brands that TABLO represent.