Minotti has a refreshed showroom in Bonifacio Global City, and its striking frontage is hard to miss as you drive down Fifth Avenue after turning left from McKinley. What you may not expect is how the showroom has been transformed into a mock luxury apartment, allowing visitors to experience the entire Minotti collection as if entering a real, impeccably designed home. From the foyer to the living room, dining room, lanai, outdoor area, and bedroom, every detail has been thoughtfully arranged. It’s truly worth a visit!
Leave it to Ferdinand Ong of Living Innovations, and the distributor of Minotti in the Philippines, to curate this showroom floor with such distinct intent and purpose.
To up the stakes of the exercise, the team hosted a media and professional industry lunch event to showcase the revamped showroom, with Ferdie himself taking on the role of tour guide. Host Anne Gauthier was the perfect foil, coming up with all the right questions that a homeowner would ask, like queries about regular maintenance, about troublesome wine stains, rambunctious toddlers, and heavy partying.
What stood out most was that there’s truly no one like Ferdie to lead this tour. You could script his words and hand them to a host, but it wouldn’t capture the depth of knowledge and genuine passion he brings. Ferdie’s connection to the Minotti brand is unparalleled, reflecting how intimately it forms an integral part of Living Innovations’ 20-plus-year history.
As Ferdie explained, when he was starting out in the business, his sights were initially set on another luxury Italian brand. However, they showed little interest in working with him—a proverbial new kid on the block. At the time, Minotti, founded in 1948 in Meda by Alberto Minotti, was already an established name but undergoing a transformation.
In 1997, its collaboration with architect and designer Rodolfo Dordoni began, marking a new era for the brand as he took on the roles of artistic director and collections coordinator. Ferdie struck a connection with the younger Minotti family members, and a partnership to represent the brand in the Philippines was formed.
It may have all begun with Minotti’s expertise in upholstered furniture manufacturing, but the brand has since expanded into a complete range of furniture accessories. Thanks to the enduring legacy of Rodolfo Dordoni, who passed away in 2023, iconic collections and pieces have become integral to Minotti’s identity.
The Suitcase Armchair, the modular Hamilton seating system, the Van Dyck table, and the Lifescape outdoor collection all embody the brand’s unwavering commitment to innovation and the seamless fusion of design and function. These classic pieces not only endure but continue to thrive and evolve.
In 2024, Minotti collaborated with Hannes Peer and Giampiero Tagliaferri, further cementing its reputation for pushing boundaries and redefining luxury. This commitment to excellence has Ferdie as energized as ever, feeling like he’s still in his “salad days” of representing the brand. Constant innovation and evolution remain the cornerstones of Minotti’s magic—and its enduring habits.