Fico's "playful yet poised" furniture showcases Bangladeshi design

Bangladeshi design brand Fico presented its debut furniture collection at Milan design week, featuring sculptural statement pieces that combine contemporary influences with traditional craftsmanship.

The collection includes a side table, sofa, chairs and room dividers, with design overseen by Fico founder and entrepreneur Rayana Hossain.

Hossain previously set up another company called ISHO that produces affordable, functional furniture catering to modern lifestyles. But with Fico, she aimed to target a younger, design-savvy audience attracted to high-end pieces.

"I wanted to create a brand that feels like an escape, where old-world charm, global cultures and Mediterranean ease meet to inspire a new kind of casual luxury," she told Dezeen.

These diverse inspirations, combined with a focus on quality materials and manufacturing, bring a sense of richness and refinement to the products, according to Hossain.

"Fico is guided by the idea of being playful yet poised," she said. "There's a lightness in spirit, but always with depth and intention. Materials and textures play a huge role; I'm drawn to old-world textiles, rich surfaces and details that carry a sense of history."

The collection's highlights include the Barbara console and side table, defined by their use of spherical forms and asymmetric legs that aim to balance structure with fluidity.

The Ondine ottoman is a statement piece with an organic form intended to embody movement and interaction while allowing for a range of different uses.

Exemplifying Fico's dedication to supporting artisanal traditions, the Woven Air room dividers incorporate intricately woven Jamdani textiles within their geometric wooden frames.

Developed in collaboration with master Jamdani weavers using centuries-old techniques, the designs celebrate the delicate transparency of these textiles by placing them in a surprising new context.

The collection was developed in-house. But in the future, Hossain hopes to collaborate with artisans and international designers to expand the brand's offering.

"The goal is to bring in unique perspectives, techniques and materials while staying true to our spirit," she explained. "We're especially interested in partnering with brands that share a similar lifestyle and audience, where we can complement each other in meaningful, creative ways."

The collection was presented as part of the MoscaPartners Variations exhibition at Palazzo Litta, which brings together international architects, designers and artists to create a space for experimentation and dialogue between different cultures.

Alongside her work as a businesswoman, Hossain is dedicated to policy reform and is a strong advocate for Bangladesh's design and manufacturing industries.

Her family owns one of the country's largest conglomerates, which specialises in apparel and fashion. Fico's products are manufactured at one of the group's factories, which also produces pieces for ISHO and other large companies.

Hossain suggested that her aim with both brands is to showcase the best of Bangladeshi design and manufacturing by bringing it to an international audience.

"Bangladesh has an extraordinary legacy of craftsmanship and a growing appetite for design," Hossain explained. "There's a raw creativity and cultural richness here that's often overlooked."

"The challenge is infrastructure and access – design often remains on the periphery rather than at the core of industry and education," she added. "That's slowly changing, and we are ensuring that we are part of that shift as a company."

Among the other highlights from this year's Milan design week was a display of pleated lighting in the city's flagship Issey Miyake store and a show exploring prison furniture curated by the Dropcity centre for architecture and design.

The photography is courtesy of Fico.

Milan design week took place from 7 to 13 April 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Fico's "playful yet poised" furniture showcases Bangladeshi design appeared first on Dezeen.