Kartell Returns to Cape Town: A New Era of Contemporary Italian Design and Luxury Living

An Italian Design Icon Reimagines Contemporary Living at the Edge of the Continent

There are cities that consume design, and there are cities that converse with it. Cape Town, with its cinematic light, architectural confidence and globally attuned creative community, has always belonged to the latter. It is here — between mountain and sea — that Kartell stages its much-anticipated return to South Africa, unveiling a flagship that is as much about cultural dialogue as it is about furniture.

This is not merely a reopening. It is a reintroduction.

Set across 400 square metres, Kartell’s new Cape Town space unfolds as a series of immersive living environments rather than a traditional showroom. Visitors move through curated domestic landscapes where colour, material and form coalesce in fluid conversation. Sculptural seating in high-gloss finishes sits beside poetic lighting; transparent polycarbonate icons meet richly textured upholstered pieces. The effect is layered, expressive and unmistakably contemporary.

Innovation personified

Kartell has long been synonymous with innovation — a brand that revolutionised the use of plastic in design, transforming an industrial material into a vehicle for beauty and experimentation. Yet today, its narrative has expanded. The Cape Town flagship reflects this evolution: from individual design statements to complete lifestyle compositions. It is a holistic vision of living, one that mirrors the way modern interiors are conceived — integrated, personal and globally influenced.

Behind this strategic return is a partnership with the Surtee Group, one of South Africa’s leading names in fashion and lifestyle distribution. Their collaboration signals a shared understanding of retail as experience. The store is envisioned not simply as a point of sale, but as a meeting place for architects, designers, collectors and aesthetes — a platform where ideas are exchanged and creative networks strengthened.

Cape Town as anchor and catalyst

For Kartell CEO Federico Luti, the choice of Cape Town is deliberate. The city’s layered identity — African and European, coastal and cosmopolitan — mirrors the brand’s own ability to navigate tradition and innovation. South Africa stands as one of the most influential markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, distinguished by its dynamism, entrepreneurial energy and growing appreciation for contemporary design. In this context, the new store becomes both anchor and catalyst.

The timing feels intuitive. Across the continent, conversations around lifestyle are shifting — towards flexibility, sustainability and expressive individuality. Kartell’s current collections respond with a refined confidence: modular systems that adapt to evolving spaces; bold yet balanced colour palettes; pieces that blur the boundary between art and utility. There is a renewed emphasis on storytelling — interiors not as static compositions, but as living narratives.

Beyond its physical footprint, Kartell is deepening its digital engagement within the region, with a dedicated South African platform and the gradual rollout of e-commerce. The move therefore reflects a broader understanding of accessibility and community — ensuring that the dialogue extends beyond the store’s walls.

Marking the opening, acclaimed designer Roberto Palomba will thus join the conversation in person, reinforcing the store’s cultural intent. His dialogue will explore the intersections of design and lifestyle, creativity and commerce — themes that define Kartell’s contemporary ethos. It is a gesture that positions the space as a living forum, responsive and intellectually engaged.

In its return to Cape Town, Kartell does not simply bring product; it brings perspective. It invites a city already fluent in beauty and design to engage with a brand that has shaped global interiors for decades — and continues to evolve with them.

Under the clear Southern Hemisphere light, among a community that values both heritage and forward thinking, Kartell begins again. Not as a visitor, but as a participant in shaping what contemporary living can be.