MILAN — It is said to be bad luck to celebrate even numbers in Italy. That’s why Porro, the Brianza-based design furniture firm, whose playful logo was famously designed by design luminary Bruno Munari, is celebrating 101 this year. It also marks over a century of a big Italian family working together.

Founded in 1925 by brothers Giulio and Stefano Porro, the design company known for its modern home designs with a touch of pop remains a family-run business and is currently being run by its third- and fourth-generation descendants. Remaining privately owned and running a firm with first, second and even third cousins is certainly something to celebrate, said Maria Porro, who is the firm’s marketing and communications director and president of global design trade show Salone del Mobile.Milano.

Upholding Democracy

So, how do families create a sense of balance when there are so many members and generations involved? The Porro family has governance in place to ensure democratic representation, which is pillared by four third-generation partners, all of whom are grandchildren of the founders. Each partner has nominated one child to manage the company. In an interview with WWD, Maria, who is the daughter of the firm’s president, Lorenzo, highlighted the importance of mutual respect, and a shared vision for innovation as key factors in successfully working with family across generations.

“Everyone has their own area of expertise, so there’s no overlap. And maybe because I’m the oldest, I’m perceived as the matriarch of the cousins,” she said at a celebratory exhibition at the firm’s showroom in Milan upon the opening of the 101th anniversary exhibit Feb. 12.

The third generation — Lorenzo (Maria’s father), Fabio, Giovanni and Danilo Porro — transformed the company by introducing digitalization, revolutionizing both production and design processes. They focused on design, starting a collaboration with architect and designer Piero Lissoni, who later became the firm’s art director and has been a constant presence for over 30 years.

The fourth generation includes cousins Giovanni Porro, the firm’s quality and management system coordinator; Giulio Porro, Porro’s procurement specialist, and Beatrice Porro, who is the youngest and joined the team most recently. Together they are working on expanding the brand’s global reach. Together, they have fostered the creation of a network of architects, designers, and professionals from all over the world, with a focus on collaboration and innovation. In parallel, production expands on an architectural scale, offering tailor-made solutions that shape spaces and make them dynamic, conceiving furniture not as an isolated element but as a tool for design.

Resolving Differences

Challenging reticence has propelled the firm in a modern era. Maria described how her father, Lorenzo, while studying architecture, challenged his own father’s direction which was to stick with home basics. Together with Pier Giorgio Cazzaniga he secretly built the first prototype of a modular system in the basement, with the help of an uncle who understood the potential of the idea.

Years later, Porro would become well known for its modular systems that revolutionized the organization of the traditional home. Modular systems, made for day, night, residential and office environments, are among the firm’s bestsellers to this day.

The third generation also pioneered the collaboration with rising names in the sector. In 1989, Piero Lissoni became Porro’s artistic director and since then he’s flanked the family and Maria’s father Lorenzo.

Maria herself faced opposition when she suggested the idea of a monobrand showroom. Family members were reluctant, but she was determined to prove them wrong, believing that having monobrand stores would allow the company to present itself not just as a producer of products but as a brand offering a cohesive lifestyle and living concept. The firm opened their first monobrand showroom about 15 years ago on Via Durini and in 2023 moved to Visconti di Modrone. In 2024, the company opened its new showroom on 31 East 31st Street and Madison Avenue in partnership with West I Out East, a multibrand design hub that has a presence in New York City; the Hamptons; Westport, Conn., and Miami. They are working with a local partner in Denver to establish a presence there.

A Sentimental Look Back

The Porro exhibition, which is on show until March 15, unfolds as a sentimental journey via a selection of works by the late Giuliano Mauri, who is known for turning natural landscapes and materials into works of art. The concept “Chi cerca trova” (Italian for “Those who seek, find”) was conceived by Milanese visual design firm Sfelab and explores the dynamic Porro design universe, which includes boxes, frames and display cases, that helped shape the modern home.

The Future

Looking toward the future, Porro, like other heritage family-run firms Molteni&C, Minotti and Kartell, is weathering an unprecedented appetite for luxury furnishings and a tricky macro climate alike.

At this juncture, Maria underscored the importance of philanthropy and creating social value. The firm works with Italian nonprofit organization Cooperativa Alice, which was founded in 1992 in Milan with the aim of promoting the social and occupational reintegration of disadvantaged people — in particular women in prison or victims of violence and mothers in difficulty.

Cooperativa Alice makes tailored garments that adorn the wardrobes of the Porro showrooms worldwide. The organization is also working on uniforms for the company’s employees. Every uniform will contain a label featuring the article of the Italian Constitution that says Italy is a republic founded on labor. The uniforms will also include a QR code that links back to the Cooperativa Alice, so each employee understands how their uniforms were made, emphasizing the craftsmanship and effort of the cooperative’s workers.

“This year, we signed a community agreement with the Cooperativa Alice, a high-end tailoring workshop involving incarcerated women. It’s not just a client-supplier relationship, but a true exchange of knowledge and collaboration,” she remarked.

In terms of design, both the third and fourth generations have forged ties with a diverse array of design-forward minds over the decades that have helped create a united vision based on contemporary and modern principles. Since his appointment in 1989, Lissoni’s design vision was crucial to the brand’s international growth, curating flagship showrooms worldwide to present Porro’s approach to design. Over the past century, designers like French architect Jean Marie Massaud have contributed significantly. Massaud designed the Lipla bed and the Synapsis table. The late Bruno Munari designed the Cubovo side table with wheels, and the late Alessandro Mendini designed the geometrically ornate Linea series. Copenhagen-based design studio GamFratesi designed Kite sofa and armchair and the revolutionary Romby chair defined by a cone-shaped wood base, as well as the Origata series by Nao Tamura.

What to Expect for Design Week

At Salone del Mobile.Milano in April, Tamura will showcase the new Ryo bookcase for Porro. Ryo is composed of long horizontal shelves supported by adjustable triangular elements made by folding a single sheet of aluminum, together creating open, multifunctional shelving systems. The firm has also renewed its collaboration with the late designer Rodolfo Dordoni’s Dordoni Studio, and will debut a new collection with New York City-Toronto-based studio Yabu Pushelberg.

“For us, the most important thing is consistency. We’ve grown by focusing on quality — quality in the details, in the materials, and in the balance between the creative and the productive sides of the business. The dialogue between these two aspects is fundamental. When a designer works with us, they know they’re collaborating with someone who understands research, development, and production, alongside creativity,” she said.

Navigating New Markets

Geographic growth in the U.S. has been key to the firm’s growth. Porro generated 27 million euros in revenues in 2025.

A step-by-step approach has characterized the company’s decision making over the years. Porro notes that their contract business (such as large-scale projects) is currently a small percentage of their overall business but she sees potential growth in this area. She said the team takes a “picky” approach to ensure quality when selecting new projects to pursue.

“The ability to create a product that has all the guarantees of an industrial product — certifications, delivery times, fixed pricing, longevity, etc. — combined with the same flexibility found in haute couture… I think this is the most important path for the future.”