Iconic Italian home brand marks 16 years in Phl

Sixteen years of bringing joy to Filipino homes.

This was how SMEG Philippines presented itself to its guests to mark its recent anniversary celebration at The Ayala Museum. SMEG, the world-famous Italian brand of modern lifestyle home and kitchen appliance that incorporates technology and style into every product, is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Mondo Cucina Inc., owned by the power couple Ton and Karen Concepcion.

SMEG stands for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla (roughly translated to English as Metal Enameling Plant of Guastalla, Emilia). It is best known for its outstanding performance and sleek, retro-style designs for refrigerators, washing machines, stand mixers, toaster ovens, microwaves, wine cabinets and coffee machines – all in striking colors of red, blue, orange, yellow, white and what-have-you. The iconic global brand has elevated the culinary experience with a touch of sophistication to numerable kitchens, making them truly a functional pieces of art.

"Sixteen years ago, my wife Karen and I went to a town called Guastalla in Emilia Romagna in the northern Italy, where SMEG's headquarters are located," said Ton, founder and owner of MCI. "We immediately fell in love with SMEG. Never have we seen such beautiful appliances made with careful attention to design and technology. We knew we have to bring SMEG into the Philippines. And so, in 2006 driven by a passion for excellence into bringing the best experiences to the customers, we open the first SMEG experience center at Serendra in BGC."

Concepcion added: "Today, SMEG is an iconic brand — a household name desired by many. It can be found in top luxury homes all over the Philippines and nearly 10,000 luxury condominiums across Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, all having SMEG kitchens. Our customers understand that SMEG products are actually pieces of art and not just appliances. We are excited for the future as we continue to innovate and launch new products and expand our stores and service centers nationwide."

Functional pieces of art
Since SMEG products have been recognized as functional pieces of art, it was just apt that SMEG Philippines anniversary was held at the Ayala Museum, where guests were first transported to Italy via a delightful indoor garden installation, then ushered to view a great Philippine masterpiece.

The venue was transformed into a lush Italian garden playfully adorned with SMEG appliances like an art installation reminiscent of the Emilia Romagna region. It was filled with lemon trees, flowers and verdant greens that came alive with the stunning colors of SMEG appliances showcased as pieces of art.

Then, guests were ushered to an exclusive preview of a great Philippine masterpiece — Juan Luna's long-lost artwork, "Hymen, oh Hyménée." This prized work by Luna stayed with him for a decade until his death in Hong Kong in 1899, when it mysteriously vanished.

Italian ambassador to the Philippines, Marco Clemente, and SMEG Export director for Asia Matteo Lupi graced the event. Business leaders from the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and stalwarts from the country's property development, design and architecture industries were also present.

"Our brand's commitment to outstanding design and quality remains," said Karen, SMEG Philippine creative director. "SMEG technology is very important and unique. It's energy saving. It's a big plus."
SMEG Philippines continues to push the envelope in terms of design and innovation. The long tradition and history, combined with new creations continue to bring even better SMEG appliances to more homes.

"For the next 16 years or maybe not just 16 but many more years, we continue to innovate and market the brand. We always want to think out of the box and that's the spirit of SMEG — artistic, high quality and unexpected," Karen concluded.