Elegant Waiya chair made of steel - Colico

Unique design and extraordinary harmony between components are the key to understanding the concept from which Waiya originates. A chair and armchair with a contemporary flair that have their roots in our recent past.

Subtle design combined with incredible projects gives the Colico brand its synonym. It’s a tribute to true craftsmanship, multi-generational manufacturing, and details that ultimately influence the style of the finished products. A major advantage of these luxurious chairs is the extensive choice of colors and combinations, allowing you to create your dream interior design.

Important milestones in the brand's history

The year is 1920, and in Brianza, a land with a peasant tradition near Milan, the first design and carpentry schools are founded, and artisan furniture shops are gaining strength. This is where the company's story begins. A family story that starts with Andrea Colico and his passion for chairs, which he produces in a small courtyard in the town of Cabiate.

1950s

After the difficult post-war years, Antonio, Andrea’s son, senses the first wave of change. Aware of the growing attention from the bourgeois public to the value of home and related goods, their refined taste, and the ongoing urbanization process, he decides to move himself and his family to Varedo, close to what is becoming one of Europe's most important cities: Milan.

1960s

These are the golden years of furniture. Chair production, deeply rooted in the territory where it operates, draws from local taste and tradition, and always has a strong sense of belonging. But for Antonio, this is not enough; he is a cautious entrepreneur who seizes the opportunity presented by the development of a new district in the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia, beginning to distinguish between semi-finished products purchased in Udine province and the processing continued in his laboratory in Brianza.

1970s

Antonio Colico continues to grow and develop. These are flourishing years of economic growth, when work is seen as a social value. At this historic moment, Antonio decides to open a manufacturing plant in Friuli, a region increasingly specialized in wood processing for chair production. However, the head and heart of the brand remain in Brianza, where Antonio’s wife and his most loyal collaborators continue working on finishes and product details, focusing on quality and craftsmanship that the company is known for. The commercial structure also began to take shape with participation in its first Salone Internazionale del Mobile in 1970, an event to which the Colico family would dedicate the next 50 years.

1980s

The third significant phase in the entrepreneurial history of the Colico family began in the 1980s. Young Walter, Antonio and Maria’s eldest son, supports his father in managing the company. Thanks to design studies abroad, Walter opens doors for the family business into design and international markets, drawing inspiration from and targeting these markets. The new company was founded in 1982 under the name Colico Design.

1990s

A decade after the new company’s founding, Walter’s younger brother Diego joins him. Together with their father Antonio and an increasingly consolidated family team, the company expands and strengthens its presence on global markets, also through participation in trade fairs. These are years of experimentation, including the first hesitant use of colors, but also of attention to lines, which Walter deeply desired. He increasingly becomes a creative force within the company, thanks to his talent for beautiful, eccentric, and experimental designs.

Year 2000

At the turn of the century, Colico Design grows thanks to a network of Italian and international distributors. It’s time to focus on image, to work on the flagship collection. Walter begins collaborating with young architects and visionary designers. The success was immediate: new important business contacts were established, and Colico products started being featured in major TV programs across entertainment, sports, news, and lifestyle sectors.

2010

Walter, together with his childhood friend, now renowned architect Kicco Bestetti, creates a iconic product: the Milano 2015 chair. In this creation, he gives his all: love for his city and joy from being a guest at Expo 2015, a passion for color and new technologies, a line of classic design, as well as memories and emotions of form, with which he has lived in close contact since childhood. It is an instant success that continues to this day and has placed Milano 2015 at the center of several projects, including Design for Charity held in the magnificent setting of the Triennale building in April 2011, featuring artists of caliber such as Karima Rashid, Piero Lissoni, Elio Fiorucci, and Patricia Urquiola.

2015

Walter’s path of discovery and introspection leads to 2015, a year that marks a return to the beginnings through a new collection where wood and upholstery take center stage, culminating in the creation of a new logo. The logo, which places family, roots, and blood ties at its core, also honors the people who contributed to shaping the history and tradition of this company, celebrating a century of its story. But it also reflects a concern for the new, a desire to propose a different product, an engagement, and a question: what is an unconventional design?

2020

Today, Colico celebrates its 100th anniversary. A century spent by a family passing down their knowledge from generation to generation. A company that strives for growth while maintaining a family dimension, connecting its business and life with that of every individual who develops and lives within it.

Manufacturer information