This month we celebrate launching the stunning and vibrant Mario Luca Giusti UK collection at Gallery Gifts. As one of Italy’s most endearing contemporary drinkware and tableware brands, we look at the larger-than-life personality behind the design:
Mario Luca Giusti was born in Florence, Italy, and grew up in a family famed for their design eye. Since 1865, Mario’s family have continued to run a successful footwear company that is known throughout Florence for bold new designs created with traditional Italian materials. These qualities rubbed off on Mario, and from an early age he built a reputation for balancing aesthetics with practicality.
At the age of 16, Mario moved to Milan, where he refined his taste for beauty and elegance at the under the guidance of Germana Marucelli, a pioneer in globalising Italian fashion. This set off Mario’s career in design, working with some of the most renowned brands: Bagagli in Rome, Nella Longari in Milan, La Cooperativa di Cortina D'Ampezzo, Gaspari and Plastic in Paris, Sabrina Deco in Monte-Carlo, Cap Martin and Mentone, Teklassic in Madrid, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, Jumg Lee, Bergodorf Goodman and Bloomingdale's in New York City, Neiman Marcus in the US, The Guggenheim Museum store in Bilbao, Harrods and the Victoria and Albert Museum store in London, The Museum of Fine Art in Houstin, Takashimaya in Tokyo, Bloomingdale's in Dubai.
Known for being a master in the field of practical yet luxury design, Mario returned home to Florence in 2007 to start his own venture: the Mario Luca Giusti collection. Locally made and combining fabulously elegant design with practical acrylic materials (known as synthetic crystal), the collection aimed to make modern Italian drinkware and tableware globally accessible. Mission accomplished, as the brand quickly emerged as a dominant name across Italian households thanks to it striking pop-art colours and angular designs. The fact the range is durable and party-friendly has made it even more popular, especially with younger crowds.
From the signature pitchers and tumblers, to the salad bowls and wine glasses, the Mario Luca Giusti collection is designed and conceived by Mario himself, with new additions added each year. Fans of the collection include the Royal Families of the Netherlands, Monaco and Morocco, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. It is also a popular choice for many hotels and social settings, including Maison&Objet (Paris), HOMI (Milan), Four Seasons (Florence and Milan), JK Palace (Capri and Rome), Il Pellicano (Porto Ercole), Mama Shelter in Paris, Belgrade and Lyon, and Club Atlantis in Miami.
Discover for yourself what makes the Mario Luca Giusti UK collection so loved here.