Dear Friends and Clients of M2L,
I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that M2L is withdrawing from Cassina distribution.
In 1992 when I established M2L, my mission was to bring my concept of modern, genuine design to the architectural and interior professional. To represent leading edge brands whose mission was to compete in the design process at the highest level. The companies I select must be committed to consistently presenting fresh, modern, design, produced with the proper marriage of technology and fine hand craftsmanship. We are vigilant in maintaining the standards of our offerings… certifying percentage of production origin, and expecting our brands to avoid 'the process of sameness' by not distributing at a level that commoditizes their brands. M2L's A&D clients look to us as a leader… a distribution partner totally committed to added value. A brand that will not compromise the trust and expectations of our valued clients for short term gain.
I have always lived by the principal that the client decides who succeeds. A visit to our showrooms or website will underscore the excellence of our brand partners that include: Artek, Artifort, Walter Knoll, de sede, Montis, Galotti… the list goes on.
I want to especially thank the A&D community, as M2L begins our third decade in business, for recognizing our value to the process of design. It is with sadness that we withdraw from Cassina distribution but our success must always be based on our guiding principle of being a totally genuine company.
Michael Manes
President
Related:
Haworth and Poltrona Frau Group Join Forces
Cassina, the Brianza in Romania
"Cassina is an unusual case because, differently from the other companies that are in a critical period and that were helped by the Regione Lombardia, is absolutely healthy and the 2010 was profitable", Gibelli said during the meeting ti discuss the planned move to Romania of some important production steps.
"I really don't understand the reasons of this decision, clearly motivated only by financials reasons, since in Romania there is absolutely no product culture and skilled craftsmanship, typical of Brianza".
"This move is a very critical choice, and I really hope that the Frau management will rethink about it as any financial benefit is risking to be offset by a loss of quality and, above all, by a loss of local labor".
"I invite everybody to make a deeper consideration, and I hope that Montezemolo, the largest shareholder of the group, who always put the "Made in Italy" as a staple of his entrepreneurial activity, will protect the prestige and the name of Cassina, because the move to Romania will surely damage its prestige".
Andrea Gibelli (the Vice President of Regione Lombardia) and Gianni Rossoni (the Director of the Education and Labor office of the Regione Lombardia)
Jaan Living is an honoree in the Seating: Residential/Sofa category!
Donates Limited Edition Orange Slice Chair to Benefit Boston’s Artistic Youth
(New York, NY – November 2011) M2L and Artists for Humanity have more in common than their ties to Beantown. For the past 20 years, each has been dedicated to creating new opportunities for the unknown and underserved. While M2L discovers Europe’s most talented designers and furniture makers and introduces them to the American market, Artists for Humanity provides mentoring and employment for the city’s underprivileged creative youth. In celebration of Artists for Humanity’s 20th anniversary, M2L is pleased to donate a limited edition Orange Slice chair by Artifort for the organization’s “Have a Seat” gala on November 11.
In 1960, famed French designer Pierre Paulin and Dutch furniture maker Artifort wrote design history with the launch of the Orange Slice (F437). Playful, light-hearted and, now, iconic, the chair has been a permanent feature of the Artifort collection for the past 50 years. To celebrate its success, Artifort created a special anniversary edition in two different fabrics and a chic pearl chrome frame. The fabrics (Anime and Woton) were handpicked from the collection of the renowned Swedish fabric manufacturer, Väveriet, and feature a black base with bold white graphic patterns.
Although the short production run of the special edition Orange Slice ended last April, M2L is donating this unique piece to Artists for Humanity for its 20th anniversary gala, benefit and auction. The chair will be included in an online auction leading up to the event on November 11, 2011. All proceeds raised from the 20th Anniversary Gala will establish the AFH Fund for the Future, enabling the company to empower more underserved youth.
Students Across the Country Vie for $8,500 in Scholarship Awards
(New York – April 2010) For the past twenty years, M2L (www.m2lcollection.com) – a furniture importer and distributor specializing in European design – has been dedicated to finding and sourcing truly iconic pieces that define the classic modern aesthetic. Committed to promoting the value of genuine design, M2L is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Genuine Design Competition, developed in conjunction with Ruth Lynford, founder of NY Eleven. After reviewing student video submissions from across the country, M2L awarded four students with $8500 in scholarships and two students with honorable mentions for the most compelling Public Service Announcements on the topic of genuine design.
Michael Manes, founder of M2L, launched the Genuine Design website (www.genuinedesign.com) 10 years ago as a vehicle to promote authenticity in the modern furniture profession. Cultural acceptance of knockoffs erodes the legal concept of intellectual property and destroys entire industries, yet reproductions of 20th century furniture are still commonplace and continue to elude many intelligent consumers and even the occasional design buff. Passionate about this issue, M2L partnered with NY Eleven to create the Genuine Design Scholarship to educate students about knockoffs and their harmful impact on the design industry.
The 2010 Genuine Design Competition was open to design students across the country and based around the concept of a Public Service Announcement. Students were asked to create original, short videos (1-3 minutes long) on the topic of genuine design and why furniture designers deserve the right to copyright and protect their work against knockoffs. Entries were reviewed by a jury of distinguished design journalists and professionals including: David McFadden, curator, Museum of Arts and Design; Laurel Petriello, web editor, Interior Design; Nicole Haddad, design editor, New York Spaces; and Karen Shalett, editor in chief, DC Modern Luxury. The judges based their decisions on the level of creativity, originality, and impact of the message presented in the video.
The first-prize winner and recipient of the $3,500 scholarship award, Katherine Dabkowski, is an Interior Design student at Arizona State University. Her impactful PSA discusses intellectual property and the various moral and legal issues associated with unauthorized reproductions from trademark infringement to deceptive advertising. The judges were impressed with her message that stresses the importance of buying from authorized dealers and the call to action for both designers and clients to be responsible and conduct research before making important design buying decisions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngFqIJSuDmc
Second-prize winner Sarah Muchow is an Interior Design major at the New York School of Interior Design and was selected to receive the $2,500 scholarship. Her video draws thoughtful parallels between the rights of recording artists and the rights of furniture designers and licensed manufacturers. The judges were drawn to her personal narrative that utilizes freehand sketches, internet shopping, and the pages of a design history book. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCF5KrfK3cg
Marita Montes, studying Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, won third prize and the $1,500 scholarship award. She produced a clever movie trailer about furniture coming to New York to stand up for their intellectual property rights. According to the judges, it was clear that Montes spent many hours shooting the “Genuine Design” trailer, which incorporated film footage from various locations around the city as well as clips of “witness testimony” for their anticipated arrival. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD2Zw9dg7WY
Fourth prize recipient, Stuart Fingerhut, was honored with the fourth prize and a $1,000 scholarship check. An Environmental Design student at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, CA, Fingerhut took a more philosophical approach, comparing modern furniture design to a dog’s pedigree. He explained that furniture sold as a reproduction deliberately infringe on registered trademarks and no matter how similar they look to the real thing, they fall short when looking at the details. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZjzyBUcBhY
M2l also awarded Honorable Mentions to Kyla Pellicani, an Interior Design student at the New York School of Interior Design, and Typhanie Peterson, who is studying Interior Design at Rhodec International in Tustin Ranch, CA. To view their videos, visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWc60dZCZ7c
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkQiRu4olZw
The results of the 2010 Genuine Design Competition were officially announced at an event at M2l’s new Madison Avenue showroom in NYC on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 where the winners were presented with their scholarship awards. For more information or to view the finalists’ videos, visit: blog.genuinedesign.com/
Teaching Tomorrow’s Design Leaders the Importance of Design Integrity
(New York – January 2010) For the past twenty years, M2L (www.m2lcollection.com) – a furniture importer and distributor specializing in European design – has been dedicated to finding and sourcing truly iconic pieces that define the classic modern aesthetic. In addition to promoting and protecting design authenticity through its sister site, GenuineDesign.com, M2L will also give away $8,500 in scholarships through the second annual Genuine Design Competition. Developed in conjunction with Ruth Lynford and New York Eleven, the competition, which launched in 2009 with winners from Cornell University, Pratt Institute and the New York School of Interior Design, was created to educate students about knockoffs and their harmful impact on the design industry. The 2010 Genuine Design Competition is now open to design students across the country.
Michael Manes, the founder of M2L, developed the Genuine Design campaign to serve as a design industry watchdog. According to Manes, “Intellectual property isn’t protected in the realm of furniture and design like it is in other industries.” Adding, “It is up to the next generation of designers to continue the fight for equal rights.” Whether informing consumers how to avoid fraud or teaching designers the difference between inspiration and imitation, M2L believes it all begins with education.
Fittingly, the 2010 M2L Genuine Design Competition is based around the concept of a Public Service Announcement. Students are asked to create a 1-3 minute video on the topic of genuine design and why furniture designers deserve the right to copyright and protect their work against knockoffs. Entrants must currently be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited university in the U.S. and pursuing a degree in a design-related field. Additional background information and digital entry form are available on www.genuinedesign.com. The deadline for submission is March 5, 2010.
Student entries will be reviewed by a jury of top design journalists including: Sarah Rich, senior editor, Dwell; Laurel Petriello, web editor, Interior Design; Nicole Haddad, design editor, New York Spaces; and Karen Shalett, editor in chief, DC Modern Luxury. Judging will be based on originality, quality of content and impact of message. Four students will be selected to receive scholarships of $3500, $2500, $1500 and $1000, respectively. The winners will be announced at the end of March and honored at an event in M2L’s new Manhattan showroom. The winners’ videos will also be featured on the Genuine Design website and available for viewing in M2l’s three showrooms (Manhattan, DC and Boston).