'BIZNES meble.pl' international edition 1/2019

report ◆ international cooperation 6 biznes meble.pl ❘ international edition 1/2019 ‘Treehouse’is a modular system designed by Dymitr Malcew for the Bejot company. Pieces of furniture, despite its large sizes, move easily thanks to the wheels. Furniture can be set up for larger meetings or used indi- vidually for resting or when the user wants to concentrate. ‘Treehouse’ also acts as a partition in the open space. Photo by Mariusz Dziuba. f C ooperation with fo- reign designers is primarily the domain of those Polish com- panies that offer solu- tions for the contract market. This group on the other hand is dominated by office furniture manufac- turers. At the same time, these are aspi- ring brands that work with top Polish designers. Their exhibition stands can be seen in Milan or at the ‘Orgatec’ fair in Cologne. What are the criteria for in- viting foreign designers to cooperation? What goal do they want to achieve? It is time to find out. Diversity matters The Nowy Styl Group is one of those companies that have the longest work- ing experience with foreign designers. Our company provides comprehensive solutions for office and public space to over 100 countries around the world – informs Karolina Manikowska, Work- place Research & Consulting Director, Deputy Director of Product Manage- ment at the Nowy Styl Group. – Initially, we were mainly active in Poland, which is why we focused on native, recognizable designers. Over time, when most of our sales were carried out abroad, we started cooperation with foreign designers. As emphasized by Karolina Manikowska, diversity in the Nowy Styl Group is of great importance. According to the ‘Think globally, act locally’ principle, the offer is adapted to the markets on which the company operates. Małgorzata Chylewska, head of marketing at MDD, also tells about the reasons for cooperation with for- eign designers. We decide to cooper- ate with foreign designers in order to use the potential of different points of Polish brands with aspirations reach out to foreign designers without hesitation. Furniture signed by such names as Mendini, Ballendat or Pillet are gaining popularity at renowned international fairs and are winning prizes in the most prestigious competitions in the world of design. They are produced in Poland and everyone who knows realities of the market is aware that Poland is still not a paradise for designers. Here are counterarguments. Designers east of paradise A n n a S z y p u l s k a Innovative approach and unobvious treatment of the topic are of much importance to us. It is an unusual form or new materials that can draw our attention. It is also important that the designer’s interests are consistent with the company’s aspirations. Małgorzata Chylewska, head of marketing at MDD.