History

Magis is first and foremost a family story, a story of passion for design and a desire to be daring. It all began in 1976, when Eugenio Perazza, a visionary entrepreneur, decided to take a chance on design, starting from Motta di Livenza, then a small agricultural town in the Veneto region.

His idea was clear and ambitious: to promote large-scale industrial production through continuous experimentation with new languages, technologies and materials in order to offer something “more” than the ordinary, just as the name Magis suggests, which is a Latin word meaning “more”.

These were not easy years, but Perazza never stopped believing in his dream. Passion drove the brand, which gradually broke with local tradition: conventionalism and scepticism gave way to Magis’ new perspective.

The Magis spirit

Magis accelerated its international expansion with a clear and precise goal: to redefine the horizons of design through innovation and experimentation.

‘We are a factory of artists because we know how to use courage, intuition and creativity.’

Collaborations with Andries Van Onck and Marc Berthier marked an important turning point for the company. Collaborations with young design talents followed, and a long series of successes began.

In 1994, Bottle arrived, the stackable bottle rack designed by Jasper Morrison: an icon that won international awards and entered the permanent collections of museums such as MoMA in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

In 1996, Barbara Minetto and Alberto Perazza joined the company, further expanding the brand’s vision.

The following year saw the launch of Bombo by Stefano Giovannoni, the height-adjustable stool destined to become a true style icon, but also one of the most imitated design products ever.

Magis entered the new century with a technological revolution: Air-Chair, designed by Jasper Morrison, was launched, the first monocoque chair in polypropylene moulded using air-moulding technology. In 2003, it was the turn of Chair_One by Konstantin Grcic, another chair that revolutionised the world of design, this time using die-casting technology applied to aluminium.

‘We are people with our heads in the clouds and our hands busy experimenting.’

Experimentation never stops. Magis does not limit itself to innovation in materials, but explores new combinations, recovers traditional techniques and promotes the culture of ‘well-made’ typical of the best Italian design.

In 2004, Magis entered the world of children. Grandfather Eugenio wanted to give his granddaughter Anna a proper table, but couldn’t find one that suited her, so he decided to design an entire line of furniture that was practical but also had educational value. This led to the creation of Me Too, the first collection of designer furniture seen through the eyes of children, which allows little ones to experiment with their creativity in a simple and fun way, such as with Puppy, the abstract dog designed by Eero Aarnio, which quickly became a children’s design icon that adults also love.

In 2010, Magis moved to its new headquarters in Torre di Mosto: over 98,000 square metres dedicated to logistics, assembly, offices and a large showroom.

A year later, two more successes followed: Magis reissued Mendini’s famous Proust, a symbol of re-design, in an outdoor version made of polyethylene, and won its second Compasso d’Oro with the Steelwood Chair (the first came in 2008 with Trioli by Eero Arnio), to which four more would be added: in 2014 for Spun, in 2020 the Compasso d’Oro Lifetime Achievement Award to Eugenio Perazza, in 2022 for Plato and in 2024 for Costume, as well as numerous international awards.

Magis always looks to the future and sustainability. This concrete commitment translates into products designed to last over time, such as the Bell Chair by Konstantin Grcic (2020), the modular Costume sofa by Stefan Diez (2021), made from recycled polypropylene obtained from production waste and recyclable, and the Re Air-Chair and Re Armchair (2023) made from 100% post-consumer plastic derived from the recycling of poly-laminated and disposable food packaging.

Since 2016, Magis has been led by Alberto Perazza and is now an international company, present in homes, public spaces, contract projects and the permanent collections of the world’s most important museums.

A creative, free and curious voice that continues to look ahead and dream of new horizons in design.