expormim

La Exportadora del Mimbre was founded by lawyer Miguel Laso Tortosa in 1960 to export wicker products. Tortosa had identified a gap in the European market for products made from natural materials. He brought in the wicker from the nearby region of Cuenca and it was handcrafted into baskets, folding screens, cradles and toys. A few years later, armchairs and loungechairs were added to the company’s range. Fifty years on and with the third generation of the Laso family at the helm, Expormim is still the world’s most respected manufacturer of artisan-crafted rattan furniture, selling its wares in more than 40 countries across the globe. Way ahead of the green revolution, Emporimim’s products are naturally eco-friendly and the range encompasses every facet of the home, from coffee tables (Tunis) to chaise lounges (Reposo) and beds (Kabu). Recently they have reissued some of their classic 1970s designs, such as the elegant Nautica (a hanging seat) in UV resistant materials and aluminium. Expormim designers are amongst the most acclaimed in the world. They include Jaime Hayon, nominated by Time Magazine as one of the most relevant creators of our times (his Frames for Expormim is an instant classic); Leivore Altherr Molina, a studio of three partners and winner of Spain’s National Design Award; and Oscar Tusquets Blanca, an artistic polymath and a founding member of Bd Barcelona Design.