Extra Moooi: Dutch brand Moooi launched its first US showroom in May. In this movie, co-founder Marcel Wanders explains how the company hopes to tap into a new generation of "design-savvy" American consumers.
"I think the timing is really good," Wanders says in the movie. "Not only is the economy in the States doing really well, but the openness for sophisticated design has grown."
America's burgeoning appreciation for luxury design has come from the country's start-up culture, Wanders goes on to claim.
"If you think about all the new, young companies, they're all really design-savvy," he says. "So the whole understanding of what design can really do for you as a person or as a business has changed in the United States. I think that makes a huge impression."
He adds: "We've been seeing our business grow really fast over recent years in the US, so I think this is the right moment for us here."
Moooi's new showroom is situated in Midtown Manhattan, in a neighbourhood known as NoMad (north of Madison Square Park).
Rents are more affordable here than elsewhere in the city, but the area is steadily becoming more upmarket. Wanders believes more European design brands will soon start opening stores nearby.
"It's not too full here and the rents are acceptable for our type of business," Wanders explains. "We feel that there is traction in this area for other companies to come over and help us make this a place that will zoom design all around."
It was an easy decision for Moooi to open its first US showroom in New York, Wanders says.
"New York is kind of the centre of the design world in the United States," he explains. "We are happy to go to Los Angeles and San Francisco and Miami later."
Wanders believes that the variety of different styles found across Moooi's range of products puts the brand in a strong position to cater to different tastes across America.
"It is clear to me more and more that the design aesthetic in New York is different, in San Francisco it's different, in Miami it's different," he says. "Moooi is a very eclectic brand — it has lots of different sides. We are going to investigate and find out what things are more likely to be important for people here."
He continues: "That's also why we want a store. We want to shake people's hands, understand what they like and what they don't like and see if together we can build this brand to be the perfect brand for New York."
This movie was filmed at the joint launch of Moooi's new showroom and Dezeen's US office in New York. The music featured is a track called Saint Jean by UK producer Jo Noon.
The movie is part of our year-long Extra Moooi collaboration, which will see us working with Moooi in Milan, New York, London and Amsterdam to get under the skin of the brand, its products and designers. Read all the stories at www.dezeen.com/moooi.