São Paulo – The coffee, the bread, the tea were made in the kitchen of the family, which is Arab. But the tea and coffee set, the salt and pepper seller and the jars sitting on the table are Brazilian. A factory based in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is exporting luxury household utensils to the Arab countries. The company is called Riva, has its headquarters in the city of Caxias do Sul, has been internationally awarded and enjoys worldwide renown for the creative, sophisticated design of its products. The Arabs who buy the items are from the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
According to Rubens Simões, designer and director at Riva, sales to the Arab world started in 2006 to Lebanon. The Lebanese saw products by Riva at the International Home Show (Macef), in Milan, Italy, and were charmed by the design of the products. “In that same year, the Murazzo salt and pepper seller set won the German IFC Product Design Award, considered the Oscar of design, which contributed to spark the interest of foreigners,” explains Simões.
Riva manufactures a wide range of utilitarian and multifunctional objects made of steel and stainless steel, among them silverware sets, trays and sugar bowls. The items that it exports the most to the Arabs are tableware, such as tea and coffee sets, champagne bowls, salt sellers, pepper sellers, jars and candlesticks. They are sold at gift shops, wedding shops, design stores and stores specialised in gourmet objects. Simões believes that the determinant factor for the success of the products in the Arab world is the design of Riva’s items.
In the United Arab Emirates, articles by Riva are available at the Bloomingdale’s store, in Dubai, and are used at the Queens Hotel. In Syria, the objects are distributed by the Al Marjes Trading Company, which, according to Simões, has already sold them to sheikhs, celebrities and local authorities. The designer remarks that the Arabs favour items in stainless steel, due to the brightness of the objects, and those with silver finish. Riva expects to grow even further in the Arab market because of its new distribution centre, established in Milan.
In addition to the IFC Product Design Award, earned in 2006, Riva was also granted the 2008 Red Dot Award for its Arthur Casas by Riva line, which includes a soup bowl, a tray, and a silverware set. Alongside the IFC, it ranks among the world’s most prestigious design awards. The company was created in 1988 and manufactures approximately 600 items per year. Besides the Arab countries, the products are also sold in Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Angola, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, the United States, Greece, Italy, Israel, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Contact
Riva
Telephone: (+55 54) 3227 1400
Website: www.riva.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament and Gabriel Pomerancblum
