Anchored on love, this business has united two countries and become the integral force behind 20 years of success.
For over two decades, Florence Ko has made high-quality Italian furniture brands available in the country. It’s no wonder she is a Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy) awardee as her longstanding efforts celebrate both the Philippines and Italy in the process.
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Ko’s Italian furniture company FURNitalia has introduced elegant labels to the market for years. These include Poltrona Frau, Molten & C, Giorgetti, Fiam, Venini, Medea Lifestyle, Calligaris, Penta, and others.
She credits her husband William for introducing Italian culture to her. Thirty years ago, he began to incorporate Italian products in their businesses. To this day, whenever she develops new products, she has Italy and all that it represents included in her design process.
While selling lavish furniture to Filipinos is not short on challenges, Ko is a patient, consistent, and eloquent advocate of Italian design. The European country’s creativity, she believes, extends to every aspect of living: architecture, food, music, you name it. And this passion is encapsulated in the beautiful pieces they create.
Having worked with her Italian business partners, Ko discovered the most important thing that the two countries share—the value they place on family.
This is reflected even in the furniture they make, an attention for detail that serves both form and function. These pieces don’t only look great, but also provide comfort and ease to the ones we love the most.
“If you really put your heart in something, that’s passion, that’s love. You don’t expect anything in return, but you give your best for it,” Ko says after receiving the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia.
And that is the foundation from which Ko draws from. Being an integral force in uniting two countries deserves to be lauded all on its own. But beyond a celebration of design and craftsmanship, this passion is rooted, foremost, in love.
Banner photo from Furnitalia.
