Amel Lamtioui, President of DESIGN PHILOSOPHY, shares her passion for Italian craftsmanship and bold innovation. As a 360° global agency based in France, her company champions the finest Italian brands, blending tradition with cutting-edge creativity to meet the ever-evolving needs of the retail sector. From insights gleaned at Milan Home Fair to the future of eco-responsible design, Lamtioui's vision sets a benchmark for excellence in the industry.

INTERVIEW BY AKGÜN AKDİL

Can you tell us more about your company?

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY is a unique agency in France. I founded it a few years ago with the vision of introducing a new concept to the market: a 360° global agency that not only offers exclusive brands to retailers, boutiques, concept stores, and professionals, but also elevates the best Italian brands—authentic Made in Italy, unique and exclusive brands with distinctive know-how, history, and philosophy. Our aim is to offer our clients the crème de la crème of Italian expertise.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY is highly selective and has always maintained a consistent vision and philosophy in its client proposals. We are known for our advanced industry expertise, rigor, and keen eye for decoration, design, lifestyle, fashion, and trends, as well as our focus on exclusively representing Italian brands. As a French 360° global agency with an innovative approach, we manage our brands exclusively within the French and Belgian territories. We act as ambassadors for the best Italian brands in France and Belgium, building brand awareness, developing sales, and securing placements in the most suitable stores. Simultaneously, we offer our resellers the very best of Made in Italy.

What are the core values that your brand emphasizes in its product offerings? How do you choose the products that align with these values?

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY consistently champions Made in Italy expertise because we strongly believe in the savoir-faire of Italian companies—their innovation, creativity, audacity, and technology. We are staunch advocates for these companies, with whom we share core values. Our brand selection is not random. We are recognized for our discerning and rigorous approach to decoration, design, and lifestyle. We strive to offer our professional and reseller clients innovative, creative brands committed to preserving know-how, Made in Italy production, meticulous sourcing of raw materials, and exceptional design and manufacturing. This ensures our clients find unique, avant-garde, and daring brands—not widely available—offering exceptional, niche, and high-quality products. I travel to Italy several times a year to meet with existing suppliers and prospective brands seeking collaboration with DESIGN PHILOSOPHY to develop their presence in France and Belgium. Italian brands are also confident in partnering with us because of our deep understanding of the French and Belgian markets, our extensive professional network, and our market expertise, which allows us to place their products in the right retail locations. We manage their entry into these markets, and our innovative 360° global vision encompasses brand image development, communication, marketing, and social media strategies, ensuring a well-planned, strategic, and organized market entry to maximize sales and brand recognition.

Who are your main customers? Are there any specific demographics or regions you focus on?

Our clients are exclusively professionals: resellers, boutiques, concept stores, department stores, online retailers, decorators, architects, hotels, and more. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY holds exclusive rights for its brand partners across France and Belgium, providing a comprehensive overview, a global perspective, and a more constructive and effective strategy for developing our Italian brand partners in these countries.

What are your thoughts on Italian design? How does it influence your product range and overall aesthetic?

Italian design is iconic, bold, avant-garde, visionary, aesthetic, and timeless. We admire Italian creativity, their dedication to research and innovation, and their pursuit of enduring elegance. Synonymous with quality, DESIGN PHILOSOPHY offers its professional clients brands that embody these values of Italian design: respect for tradition and heritage, combined with modern and contemporary touches to adapt to today's world, while remaining innovative, bold, and elegant. Whether in decoration, lifestyle, or fashion, Italian design is a strength and an added value for us, one that we deeply respect and that our customers appreciate and share. This is why our resellers have remained faithful and loyal to us for many years, trusting our expertise and industry vision, and knowing they can confidently invest in our partner brands.

How important is Italian design to your customers? Do you see it as a selling point, or is it more about the quality and craftsmanship?

Italian design is crucial to our reseller clients. It is a guarantee of quality, innovation, boldness, creativity, and timelessness, which directly impacts sales. In a world of rapidly changing trends, resellers need to stock quality, impactful brands with striking, audacious, well-considered Made in Italy aesthetics, quality, and timeless design. “Fashions fade, style is eternal,” as Yves Saint-Laurent said. This quote perfectly reflects the thinking of retailers in 2025. They turn to DESIGN PHILOSOPHY because we are ambassadors of Made in Italy brands recognized for their know-how, quality, commitment to 100% Italian manufacturing, creativity, design, and innovation. They know they won't find these creations elsewhere and are reassured by partnering with DESIGN PHILOSOPHY for their business development.

What are your goals at Milan Home Fair this year? Are you looking for new partnerships, expanding into new markets, or showcasing a particular product?

Milan Home is a significant fair for us. Our brands exhibit here, and we welcome our clients. For us, Milan Home is the fair where creativity, audacity, and innovation are presented with unparalleled elegance, strength, and energy in Europe. Milan Home is the essential fair for professionals seeking high-value brands and differentiation. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY represents its partner brands at the fair and is delighted to welcome clients and share the beauty, richness, creativity, and innovation of these brands. Our clients attend the fair to make purchases, and we are grateful for their trust in visiting us in Milan.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY will also be seeking and meeting with new brands interested in developing their presence with us. Entering a new territory and developing brand image and sales is a complex undertaking, which is why brands choose to collaborate with us. Milan Home is the ideal venue for discovering new ideas, brands, and trends, strengthening ties with existing partners, and developing our business.

Are there any specific trends or products you’re hoping to see or discover at the Milano Home?

We look forward to discovering emerging trends at the show. It’s the premier European venue for finding new brands, products, and trends. The show is incredibly creative and innovative.

Could you share a curiosity or an interesting fact about your brand’s journey that others may not know?

I have always been passionate about decoration, design, lifestyle, and trends. My extensive travels, including living in New York when I was younger, and then in Paris and Bordeaux (where the company is now based), have allowed me to stay ahead of trends and develop a discerning and refined eye for the brands and products we offer to resellers and professionals.

How many clients or retailers do you currently work with, and what are your aspirations for growth over the next few years?

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY has been operating in France and Belgium for many years, benefiting from an established network of boutiques, concept stores, and department stores. We maintain a constant and active presence, giving us unparalleled expertise in these markets and enabling us to work with retailers in all regions of France and Belgium.

We are in a continuous growth phase, driven by strong and positive energy. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY is currently the only partner in France offering such a rigorous, trendy, and bold selection of 100% Made in Italy partner brands. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY champions Italian expertise, and our objective is to further develop our brand image, strength, expertise, and role as ambassadors for Italian brands and the DESIGN PHILOSOPHY know-how, while also expanding our portfolio of partner brands and connecting with new Italian manufacturers.

From your experience, what advice would you give to other companies exhibiting at Milano Home Fair? What should they focus on to stand out?

The exhibitors at Milan Home are exceptional. They create an unparalleled energy, making Milan Home the definitive European show. We actively promote the show to our clients in France and Belgium because we strongly believe in its value and future. This show is the place to be.

My advice to exhibitors is to maintain an innovative and creative approach, never become complacent, and champion know-how and Made in Italy more than ever.

How do you view Italian manufacturing? What do you think sets it apart from other countries or regions in terms of quality or design?

Italy has preserved its unique expertise, and the quality of its manufacturing is recognized globally. It is a guarantee of quality and elegance for our clients. The image of Italian manufacturing and know-how is highly positive for us and significantly impacts sales. Italian manufacturing is highly specialized, rigorous, and qualitative; it truly represents the highest quality, always combined with a distinct Italian elegance that we all admire.

Are there any new product lines or innovations you’re working on that you're particularly excited about and would like to share with us?

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY is always at the forefront, offering its customers innovation, creativity, quality, and expertise every season, every year, in collaboration with its partner brands. We must always be one step ahead in this industry. Our role is to be a trendsetter for our professional clients and resellers, providing them with access to the best