ON BUILDING A LASTING IMPRESSION
One can easily get intimidated by meeting Florence for the first time. She is a sharp and witty conversationalist who has a keen eye for detail. No doubt, a force to be reckoned with. With her years of experience in the furniture industry, she has probably heard it all—from the perpetuated questions about her beginnings to the signature style of her luxe home pieces. It came as no surprise when immediately after sitting down she tells me that she is no fan of cliches. I instinctively cross out my first few questions.
An hour ago, we were toured inside FURNitalia’s showroom in Bonifacio Global City. A leading brand of premium Italian furniture in the country, it was the first of its kind, eventually becoming known for bringing sophisticated pieces and introducing a whole new level of elegance at home. Florence talks about her business, “I’m actually hesitant to bring in new lines already. I prefer to concentrate more on my existing ones.”
This decision solidified a relationship with her retail partners. With this, she was able to not only gain the trust and loyalty of her existing brand, but also market these
Florence Ko is a genuine reflection of the luxury brand she
represents, timeless and truly unforgettable
brands who have faithfully stood by her business the best way possible.
From outside the glass floor-to-ceiling windows, it is a warm, inviting paradise for those with refined taste. Within the expanse of the showroom, classic, fine architectural pieces don each floor. One could easily traverse each level and enjoy marvelling their experiential showpieces.
Florence talks about the shopping experience at FURNitalia, “We actually guide them also because we know our product better. Just like when you go to a clothes shop. Sometimes you don’t know what you like, but the moment you try it on, that’s the time na ‘ Ay! Ito pala ‘yung something that will look good on me.’”
“Same thing with the house, customers have personal tastes so we get input from them. Maybe sometimes they cannot say it, because they’re not familiar with the terms, but with one clue or one comment, makukuhanan namin yung gusto nila.”
As an expert in her field of industry, Florence makes sure she never runs out of ideas. Her relentless pursuit for excellence ensures that she always has something new to show her customers. During the interview, she mentions
preparing for an upcoming trip to Milan—an exhibition for furniture manufacturers and designers. She shares, “We will see what is good for our market because the exhibition is for everyone. People from all over the world check on the furniture.”
So much has changed at the turn of the century, with the refined Filipino taste continuously evolving. She recalls a time when designing homes were basically just filling empty spaces, “Back then they don’t mind whether it should be branded or it should be high-end. Nowadays, they are more aware of what really a good brand is. Actually, the [luxury] furniture industry has been existing for a long time already, what's good right now is that it's growing fast here in the country.”
In the last few years, Florence has seen how the Asian market has experienced growth particularly with its spending power with luxury brands. She says, “This is more on the designer and the manufacturer side, but I can feel that Asia is really becoming one of the most powerful markets. I think even with shoes and clothes brands, they really want to market in Asia—even for furniture.”
Willingly, she further elaborates how something as simple as dining tables continue to change with the demands of the market. As Asians and Europeans differ in
their meal traditions, there has been a shift in terms of furniture production—there are larger round tables compared to the usual small or rectangular ones. And even fashion brands are noticing the growing market of expensive furniture. Fendi, Armani, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, and Ralph Lauren already have home lines.
Later in the evening, Florence sits at Lifestyle Asia’s RSVP event engaging fellow invitees in talks. As always, she is radiant. Her laugh is infectious and her insights, intelligent. And regardless of the dinner's overflowing wine and cacophony of conversations, you can easily spot her presence, always genial and always smiling.