Bovezzo (BS), Italy, 25 September 2023 – Flos is pleased to announce that Barbara Corti has been appointed as Chief Creative Officer of the brand. As CCO, she will set the creative strategy for the development of product lines in every division, as well as content creation strategies through all the brand’s online and offline channels.
Corti, who has been global Chief Marketing Officer at Flos since 2017, and since 2019 a member of the Steering Committee – the committee formed by the CEO, the Design Curators, and the CMO for defining the brand and product strategies – will move into her new role in October 2023. The position of CCO, which until today has not existed at Flos, was greatly desired by CEO Roberta Silva as a way of internalizing a very strategic function while enhancing the talent of a leader at the company who for six years has shown a forward-looking creative and cultural approach that respects the brand’s DNA and values.
After graduating with a degree in architecture, Barbara Corti worked for more than 10 years as creative director in communication agencies and for seven years as creative director at Condé Nast Italia, as well as gaining experience as a consultant and mentor for various start-ups in the world of fashion. She has also played an active role in international human rights projects, addressing the issue of Human Rights Design in developing countries.
As CCO, Barbara Corti will lead the Creative & Design Team, which will include two important areas: Product Design and Content Design. The Product Design division, in close collaboration with the Research & Development teams of all collections — Decorative, Architectural, Outdoor, and Bespoke — will guarantee the central role of designers, who will have access to a real playground of talent and elevated skills to create increasingly innovative, forward-looking projects.
The appointment of Barbara Corti coincides with the end of Flos’ collaboration with Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla in their particular role as Flos Design Curators. This position was created specifically in 2019 for the Milanese architect duo, in order to support the company and guarantee continuity in the development of new collections through a very delicate period, as the company moved from entrepreneurial management to a highly structured multinational company undergoing rapid growth and transformation. Completing their excellent work, they will support Flos in presenting new releases for 2024 at Design Week in Milan in April.
“Product development and launch strategies are two crucial areas for the success of Flos”, explains Roberta Silva, CEO of Flos. “In 2019 we created the role of Design Curator, starting a very fruitful collaboration with Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla. Now we are ready for the next step. The time has come to internalize this role, which is fundamental for the success of Flos, through the creation of a new ‘Creative & Design Team’. Barbara Corti will guide this team, becoming Chief Creative Officer. Barbara has shown her exceptional abilities, and I am strongly confident that she will do an excellent job. I would like to congratulate Barbara for this well-deserved recognition and wish her much success. I would also like to thank Fabio and Paolo for their extraordinary support over the years and for the love and passion they show for Flos.”
Barbara Corti, CCO of Flos, commented: “I am very thankful for this splendid opportunity and extremely motivated, not only to continue to strengthen the recognized brand identity of Flos, but also to more deeply nourish the inclination to dare and the capacity to explore new territory, which is at the heart of our DNA. My objective is to further strengthen the natural playground that Flos represents for the creativity of our designers, who are for us the most important thing.”
About FLOS
Founded in Merano, Italy in 1962, Flos is recognised as a leading international-level manufacturer of top-end designer lights and innovative lighting systems for residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. The company boasts an extensive catalogue of iconic lamps created by legendary names in the history of design such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Tobia Scarpa, Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Piero Lissoni, Marcel Wanders, Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison, Patricia Urquiola, Ron Gilad, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Michael Anastassiades, Vincent Van Duysen, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, Formafantasma, and many others.
In over sixty years of history, Flos has grown significantly, showing a constant commitment to research and innovation in lighting, teamed with a remarkable capacity for identifying new creative talent.
In 2015, Flos purchased Ares, a renowned Italian manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting. The Outdoor division thus became the fourth production unit at Flos, alongside its historic Decorative, Architectural and Bespoke product lines. In the same year Flos also acquired NYC-based Lukas Lighting, a company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of sophisticated custom lighting products. This move gave a strong boost to the Flos growth in the North American contract market.
In June 2019, Roberta Silva was appointed CEO of Flos, with a view to managerial development of the Group. Today, Flos offers a universe of fully integrated solutions. It exports to more than 90 countries worldwide and has single-brand stores in Milan, Paris and New York, in addition to the two e-commerce platforms shop.flos.com and usa.flos.com. Its creations have received countless international awards and many of them now feature in the permanent collections of major art and design museums around the world. www.flos.com
Since 2018 Flos has been part of Design Holding, a leading global high-end design group operating a number of legacy brands in the world of luxury furnishings and lighting, with a European cultural heritage. Driven by a purpose of “We design for a beautiful life,” the Group designs for the planet, people and culture. The Group includes Flos, B&B Italia, Louis Poulsen, Maxalto, Arclinea, Azucena, FENDI Casa, Audo and Lumens. Design Holding is jointly owned by the global investment firms Investindustrial and Carlyle. www.designholding.com