56 spaincontract. Coffee Break.Diseñadores en el SaloneSatellite
--- Piezas de Momocca en la notaría
Heros28 en Bilbao.
--- Momocca’s pieces at the Heros28
notary’s office in Bilbao.
being a young design studio with good ideas was of little use to Spanish
industry which was more concerned with saving its business than with
betting on new talent. We saw the opportunity of not limiting ourselves
to one market national and we started our studio with a more international
focus, so participating in the SaloneSatellite seemed the best way
to show our potential. It was a challenge for us and we felt that we were
taking a big step on behalf of the studio.
The Salone is a platform for accessing large international publishers, but
how does an unknown young designer reach out to companies in Spain?
Good question, we haven’t figured it out yet… Not being Spanish? We
have the feeling that in Spain, Spanish companies are more interested in
collaborating with foreign or Spanish designers but only well-established
ones because in addition to giving them prestige, it opens up markets
for them. And in the end what is happening is that many young Spanish
designers approach the issue in the same way. It is logical but sad
because, unlike other countries, in Spain we do not know how to create
a country by asserting our own values, and in the end, we end up with
little support for young people.
In recent years we have experienced a boom in contract interior
design, what differences do you find between creating products
for the home and for the contract business?
We believe that they are two concepts that increasingly tend to converge
on the same point. For example, the tendency is to work in offices that
are like your house and that your house should also be your office. This
is what causing many products to be rethought and how new styles appear.
These pose new very interesting challengers for designers.
On a business level how are you handling the pandemic?
It has affected us as it has affected everyone, but perhaps due to the fact
that we have a very varied range of clients and projects, spread between
different places, we have been able to balance the scale. Some projects
have been stopped but others have appeared.
And what are these new projects?
Among others, we are providing creative advice to various clients and are
involved in various design projects in the United Arab Emirates. Also, we have
just introduced our first collection with a Spanish lighting company: Estiluz.
MOMOCCA. Lourdes Coll and Pablo Miranda
“Our keys are constancy, insistence and offering the best of ourselves”
How did your participation in the Satellite come about?
The SaloneSatellite was the first international event in which we participated,
it allowed us to make the leap onto the international level,
to make ourselves known and to create contacts that later became excellent
opportunities. Our aspiration is to participate in the Salone del
Mobile in Milan, we are aware that it is a very ambitious goal, so we are
always working towards that direction. The first step was to introduce
ourselves at the Satellite. Now we have to go the rest of the way.
The Salone is undoubtedly a springboard, but how does an emerging
furniture brand find a way to work on projects in Spain?
Above all with a lot of persistence, knocking on many doors. It is a long
process, sometimes hard, but the key is not to give up and trust your
product. In the end, when things are done well, the results may be seen
projects turn up and here is the key, because many times when a project
presents itself others appear in turn. Constancy, insistence and always
trying to offer the best of ourselves.
Why did you decide to become a publisher and not a design studio?
First of all, because this way allows us to maintain control over the production
process of our own models and designs. Thanks to this we can
evaluate and ensure that each step is carried out correctly and always
seek the highest quality.
On the other hand, creating a company allowed us to go further, creating
a world around Momocca in terms of employment, transmitting our
values and contributing to society. We are fortunate that Spanish design
is increasingly valued. And as a national firm we also want to invest in
the brand of Spain. Our furniture is nationally produced all the way from
the raw materials to assembly. If Spanish design is at all valued more it is