Downtown Design
redazione 16/03/2023

Meritalia in the ranks of Italian Radical Design

The company founded by Giulio Meroni enters the group that includes Gufram and Memphis

Meritalia represents a piece of history of Made in Italy. Founded in 1987 by Giulio and Vanna Meroni and famous for its irreverent and unconventional spirit, from the outset in the 1990s Meritalia has brought a radical vision of the living area, masterfully combining comfort, forms and colors.

 

Freud by Meritalia, Design Mario Bellini

Freud by Meritalia, Design Mario Bellini

Gli Amici by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

Gli Amici by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

With its original design, the company has revolutionized form and content, giving rise to an iconic experimentalism in collaboration with some of the most important Italian architects and designers: Carlo Scarpa, Achille & Piergiacomo Castiglioni, Alessandro Mendini, Mario Bellini, Italo Rota, Carlo Contin, Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Fabio Novembre, Giulio Iacchetti.

Shadow by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

Shadow by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

One of the long-term collaborations is with Gaetano Pesce, creating the world-famous La Michetta, the modular seating system that combines craftsmanship with creative research: an always new and different gathering of pieces simply juxtaposed, entirely with the added rhythm of capitonné work.

La Fiorita by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

La Fiorita by Meritalia, Design Gaetano Pesce

Alda by Meritalia, Design Giulio Iacchetti

Alda by Meritalia, Design Giulio Iacchetti

Today Meritalia becomes part of Italian Radical Design, the group founded by the entrepreneurs Sandra and Charley Vezza, which already includes Gufram, acquired in 2012, and Memphis, in 2022. The objective of the acquisition is to bring the distinctive experimental energy of the brand back to the center of the world of design.

Snake by Meritalia, Design Carlo Contin

Snake by Meritalia, Design Carlo Contin

“Meritalia, for us, is ideally a way of taking a place at the center of any space – say Sandra and Charley Vezza. – We want to continue to experiment with upholstered furnishings, through a series of collaborations with designers who want to move forward with the legacy of exceptional names already in the catalogue, updating contents and taking chances with flamboyant, irreverent ideas. After all, every creative talent would love to create a sofa! On a chronological level, with the arrival of Meritalia we have completed an ideal playlist that extends from the best of the 1970s to reach the 2000s: Gufram, Memphis and now Meritalia.”

Meritalia will present its new era during Milano Design Week, with a special installation.

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