AICO to introduce contemporary leather upholstery line Mia Bella

Ray Allegrezza -- Furniture Today, January 7, 2013

PICO RIVERA, Calif. — Full-line importer Amini Innovation Corp./AICO is ringing in the new year with a major launch of contemporary, mid- to upper-priced leather upholstery sets to debut at the winter Las Vegas Market.

Called Mia Bella by Michael Amini, the 150-SKU line, sourced in Asia, features lush top-grain Italian leathers, distinctive designs and fashion colors and will become the contemporary arm of AICO, according to CEO Michael Amini.

To underscore the significance of this launch, the company will showcase it in a new 22,000-square-foot showroom that it has taken adjacent to its current showroom in space C-1601 of the World Market Center. The market runs Jan. 28-Feb. 1.

"We are excited with the additional showroom space because it will enable us to put a focus on Mia Bella," Amini said. "Just as important, the new showroom affords us the space to create a much different vibe than the traditional looks our customers have come to expect in our existing showroom. Reflecting the contemporary styling of Mia Bella, the new showroom will have more of an open, art gallery feel to it."

He added that Mia Bella was designed to fill what he sees as a void in the marketplace for innovative, contemporary designs that also offer value.

He said the new line will become the contemporary arm of AICO. "It will be the division for our new looks in contemporary leather as well as in occasional and dining," Amini said.

Amini, who led the design of Mia Bella, cited innovative designs, domestic warehouse availability and significant advertising support for the new brand as key factors he believes will distinguish it from competitors' comparably priced offerings.

"We deliberately stayed away from the commodity market in favor of the middle to upper end of the market," he said.

Commenting on expectations for Mia Bella, Amini said, "Short-term, we believe we will experience new distribution through contemporary specialty stores and leather specialty stores we may not currently be selling as well as increased distribution from our current dealers.

"Long-term, I'm confident that Mia Bella will allow us to achieve strong brand recognition as a major marketer of leather upholstery," he said.