Gerard Masdeu Jordà was expected to take over the mechanical workshop that his father ran in Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Girona), a town with a deep-rooted metal working tradition. But his artistic talent and business vision took him much further, and in 1969 he founded Estiluz, a venture committed to making high-end decorative lighting with signature designs and handcrafted finishes.
During the 1980s, the company achieved significant growth thanks to the success of its neoclassical style products and begin its expansion into Europe. This was also the decade that saw the birth of “Leonardo Marelli,” the name adopted by Gerard Masdeu for his creative work due to the need to project a more international image, at a time when Spanish designers lacked the prestige they enjoy today. In the nineties, the new models of lamps adapted to the trends of the times: they were slimmer products, but they maintained the Estiluz brand. Some of them have become classics in the Icons collection.
In the first decade of the 21st century, the company brought in highly prestigious external designers such as Ximo Roca, King&Miranda and Lagranja, who brought a fresh design vision and rejuvenated the product portfolio with a more modern image. Infiore, by Lagranja, marked the history of Estiluz and became a symbol of the beginning of this new stage. At the same time, the company undertook a successful repositioning and strengthening of its brand.
The last decade has been marked by a return to the brand's origins in terms of the purity of its designs and use of materials, while offering large-format lamps thanks to the possibility of creating multiple compositions. Volta has become the star of this new trend-setting stage, accompanied by other equally well-known models such as Revolta and Circ by Nahtrang Studio.This stage marks another milestone in the history of the brand, reaffirming its leadership in the local and international market.
Today, with a second generation on board, Estiluz surrounds itself with prestigious designers with whom it experiments by playing with new shapes and materials, while instilling all its creations with a productive rationalism and a spirit of craftsmanship that allow for efficiency and sustainability in production without renouncing delicate, high-quality finishes.
More than 50 years producing timeless designer lamps (View company video)
Estiluz has been creating decorative lamps for more than 50 years, a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation and has been perfected by rationalizing production and dignifying metal while maintaining a handcrafted spirit.
Estiluz lamps last over time, both in terms of their form and materials. Timeless designs that adapt to their environment without losing their identity. These designs are created in partnership with external designers who are passionate about their profession, critical and creative minds who want to establish a continuous dialog with Estiluz to offer the best of both throughout the entire process, from conceptualization, to design, development and even the manufacture of their lamps. Creators who want to be part of the company's values and give back to the company in their enthusiasm to illuminate spaces and innovate in the way the product interacts with the user, both physically and emotionally.
The brand, with a deep-rooted metal working tradition, supervises each of the parts it manufactures in its own facilities with a critical eye to offer impeccable finishes. Delicate metal work and attention to detail are its hallmark. Other materials such as glass, polyethylene, cork, etc. complement the value provided by the metal. The quality of its materials and production processes makes it possible to obtain resistant lamps capable of withstanding the passage of time without their finishes degrading. These factors combined make Estiluz lamps pieces designed and manufactured to last a lifetime, helping to reduce the ecological footprint of its products.
“Best sellers” and new collections
The company offers minimalist collections based on pure forms that reflect the honesty of its designs. Its collections of simple, light lines are designed to invite you to create.
The flagship collections that have become the core of the brand in recent years are the Volta, Revolta and Circ families designed by Nahtrang Studio. In addition, the latest collections created in 2022 have been very well received in the market: Bols designed by Mermelada Studio, Cupolina created by Boti de Dominicis Studio, and Frame designed by Aqueni
The company is currently preparing the new collections to be presented in Milan. One of them, the Mood collection, was created for the exhibition “Escenarios de un futuro Cercano,” curated by design journalist Tachy Mora within the framework of the design capital of Valencia. This collection represents the values of the housing of the future: sustainability, nomadism, multi-functionality, flexibility, and versatility for an increasingly changing space. For its presentation at the Euroluce fair, the collection has been expanded with new pieces that try to meet the needs of other spaces, with the same principle of flexibility and versatility. The new Compass collection, designed by Nahtrang, will also be launched in Milan. This collection consists of a metallic sphere that emits a concentrated beam of light that is repeated throughout the collection and provides flexibility for installation. These models allow for a dialog with the user and are three-dimensional compositions in space to create customized lighting scenes, while maintaining the minimalist, balanced and functional principle of the product.
Marketing abroad
As marketing director Marta Masdeu notes, “Marketing abroad changes a lot depending on the country; in some countries it is still done through the usual channels and in others the sales are limited to the digital channel or directly to specifier professionals, but the digital part is always present (both in the information process and in the sale). We currently have a presence on the Archiproducts website and other specialized blogs.”
International awards
The firm has received numerous international awards. For example, the Button lamp designed by Francesc Rifé received a Red Dot in 2016 and a Metropolis Likes; Alfi, created by estudi{H}ac was awarded the NYCxDesign 2020 and was a finalist in the IF Design Awards; Circ was nominated for NYCxDesign; Volta received the Miaw Award 2016 and was nominated for the Best of Year Award; and Revolta received the Best of Year Award 2018.
Main international projects by this global firm
The firm has been involved in many residential projects, including for musicians and celebrities around the world. Through photos in magazines and newspapers we know, for example, that Cristiano Ronaldo and Nicolas Sarkozy are Estiluz customers. Another fascinating project in which the company has participated was the lighting for some areas of the Houston soccer stadium or the new Amazon headquarters in Virginia (USA). One of its most recent projects was the renovation of two rooms at the National Library of Florence (Italy) and Jaleo Restaurant by José Andrés at the Atlantis Royal in Dubai.
Notable ongoing projects include the San Antonio Spurs' new training campus in Texas, offices in the Dubai Tower, and the lighting for the rooms at the Grand Meliá Cordusio Hotel in Milan. This last one will premiere at the upcoming edition of the Milan Furniture Fair. These are just a few examples of the many installations where Estiluz lamps can be found all over the world: From Kuwait to Sydney, via Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Santiago de Chile, and Tokyo.
Estiluz exports 80% of its turnover, mainly to the United States and Central Europe, and continues its intense international growth in both regions, as well as in the Arab and Asian markets. In 1992 the company opened its subsidiary in the United States and since 2017 it has its own showroom in New York city.