CEO Copenhagen-based Gubi Disusses Mastering Design Re-Edits, New Markets

MILAN — Copenhagen-based design firm Gubi has a knack for mixing Scandi spirit with Mediterranean vibes.

That’s why its latest debut is with Brianza-based luxury rattan furniture firm Bonacina 1889.

Together they are reviving the bohemian allure of rattan design with the relaunch of Tito Agnoli’s P3 lounge chair and P3S chaise longue.

Gubi chief executive officer Marie Kristine Schmidt told WWD on Thursday that re-edits like these, which make up 50 percent of their sales and business, are part of a broader strategy to increase Gubi’s presence in Southern Europe.

Faithful to the original drawings, Gubi brought Tito Agnoli’s P3 designs back into production and, for the first time, introduced an outdoor-ready edition of the P3 lounge chair, crafted in high-performance synthetic rattan in collaboration with Bonacina 1889. The synthetic rattan renders the chair more durable for indoor and outdoor use and more affordable for younger generations.

Collaborations like these are also a great opportunity for storytelling, Schmidt explained. Agnoli, who was born in Lima, Peru, to an Italian family, died in 2012. During his career he rose to be the assistant of Gio Ponti and Carlo De Carli and later collaborated with Arflex, Molteni&C and more.

The Nostalgia Trap

Bringing back successes from the past can be tricky, Schmidt said. It’s essential to evaluate how and if each piece from the past resonates in today’s world. Curation is also key.

One half of Gubi’s business is dedicated to archival pieces and the other is dedicated to contemporary design. When approaching a new project, each one undergoes a careful selection process. “We ask ourselves, ‘How was this made? Why was it made? What is the actual story? And why is this relevant to what is happening right now?’” Schmidt said, adding that the firm is focused on bringing the story forward in a contemporary context.

It can be complex when you have drawings to work from, versus working from a clean slate. “I think both of them have ups and downs in terms of complexity but both make us who we are somehow,” she said, underscoring that the firm is careful not to fall into the trap of nostalgia.

“You have to be extremely discerning on design. It’s all about staging and curation. Like in your own home, you don’t want all new, but you don’t want to live in a museum or in a vintage store either.”

Such successful collections include the archival pieces of European designers whose works remain fresh today.

In 2022, Gubi unveiled a re-edit of the late Italian artist and designer Gabriella Crespi’s bohemian rattan that rose to fame in the 1970s and remain collectors’ pieces to this day.

In 2025, Gubi unveiled a remake of the 1960s F300 lounge chair by French designer Pierre Paulin, a model that was both sculptural and futuristic in form. Despite the lack of documentation of its manufacturing and materials, Gubi presented an updated model optimizing aspects of the old model to meet today’s standards of durability and in a variety of materials and textiles like smooth leather, suede and alpaca.

Reaching New Markets

Gubi is also expanding its showroom presence and plans to open one in Paris, Gubi House Paris, on April 16. Envisioned as a destination for architects and design professionals, the Paris space will host installations, launches and cultural events, offering an immersive entry point into Gubi’s design universe in a distinctly Parisian setting.

“We’re opening in Paris obviously, because the Southern European markets are very important to Gubi,” Schmidt added, noting that the Paris venue is intended for architects and interior designers to pass by appointment.

The new showroom follows those in Copenhagen and London, where their hub is situated in Charterhouse Square. “We have a beautiful old Georgian townhouse in London, which is a different way of expressing Gubi. So it’s the same DNA in the brand, but obviously in the context of London…,” Schmidt said.

Despite the U.S. being Gubi’s largest single market, it currently does not have a monobrand presence in North America. Without expanding its presence in the region, Schmidt said Gubi has a successful retail presence through retail partners like Design Within Reach.

“We have a good distribution strategy. We have strong partnerships in the U.S. with Design Within Reach, for instance, and they’re the best; they have a lot of coverage,” she said.

Contract and hospitality are other areas of growth and the company is showing strength in the hospitality sector in ancillary spaces, hotel lobby areas and meeting rooms.

In terms of sales, Schmidt added that Gubi posted a flat performance in 2025, in-line with the broader market and even outperforming its peers in light of the ongoing market pressures worldwide. Last year, the firm focused on recalibrating its go-to-market model, especially in Europe, prioritizing a stronger local presence by transitioning to direct employees across the continent.

“What we have to do… as a business in general, is to really ensure that we capture the momentum, but also [ensure] that we follow the momentum,” Schmidt pointed out, underscoring the need to be agile and build strategic anchors.

Growing in China

Gubi also established a team in China in 2021 and is steadily building its platform there.

“I think the misunderstanding is some think you can go in and out of China fast. It’s a long-term investment like any other market, honestly. And you need to establish a team, you need to build strong partnerships…brand awareness exercises as well,” she said. Unlike Italian and French brands positioned in the luxury end of the market, Gubi offers an alternative to many of the same leading designers at an accessible price point.

“We offer a very good price for value, and I think that that has opened up an opportunity for a brand like ours in China,” she contended. The P3 chaise longue, for example, is priced at 1,399 euros and the lounge chair is priced at 1,099 euros.

The partnership with Bonacina 1889 is also an opportunity to flex Gubi’s style muscle in the premium end of the market. “Bonacina does products that are very premium priced compared to where Gubi plays. And this is also an opportunity for them to expand their story to a different audience,” she concluded.

Milan’s Dimorestudio most recently put a new spin on the rattan that Bonacina has been producing since 1889.

Dimorestudio, which was founded by design duo Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, has designed a series of 1970s-inspired pieces in cottonwood and lacquer. Named Punta Ala, after the Tuscan seaside resort, the array also borrowed from that region’s coastal culture and its landscape. The partnership with Gubi was a strategic move for Bonacina 1889 as well, explained Elia Bonacina, family member and CEO. Together they share a knack for balancing design heritage with modern relevance.

“What we bring is a deep, generational knowledge of rattan as a living material; what Gubi brings is a contemporary lens that allows these designs to gain renewed relevance and reach,” he said.