Leucos
Leucos, the legendary Italian lighting house, makes its debut in Australia, bringing its fusion of Venetian craft and contemporary innovation to Dedece.
When Abramo Manfrotto steps into Dedece’s Sydney showroom, he’s arriving not just as the CEO of Leucos, but as someone who has spent a lifetime in the world of lighting. “I still have that memory of the sound and the light effect,” he says, recalling long hours spent as a child in his father’s professional photography studio. That early exposure instilled a passion in him that has never left. “It’s like having a bug in your brain,” he laughs.
Born in Bassano del Grappa, Manfrotto spent years within his family’s photographic equipment business, surrounded by design, creativity and technical precision from the very beginning. “I was brought up in an environment where engineering was the key to everything… manufacturing processes, superficial treatments, transformation of materials,” he says. When he acquired Leucos in 2019, he carried that experience directly into the brand’s next chapter.
Established in Venice in 1962, Leucos has always combined centuries-old craft of Venetian glass with a modern design sensibility. But by the time Manfrotto arrived, the company needed clarity. “We did a lot of housekeeping. When I bought it, it had something like 150 different product lines… Last year we presented ourselves with five families.” Today the range sits at around eight collections, and he intends to keep up the momentum. “The plan is to introduce at least two to three lines a year… two will be new and one will be a reintroduction of something from the past.”
That mix of heritage and innovation sits at the centre of Leucos’ identity. The brand is deeply tied to Murano’s handblown, artisanal glass traditions. “I love the old tradition… you’re in the hands of these master blowers.” Yet he’s equally committed to bringing contemporary engineering to the forefront. “It’s no longer just a decorative piece, a vase with a light bulb inside. It’s a piece of electronics that is complicated, that needs to be safe… and I am now applying all those things to Leucos. For me, the most fascinating thing is being able to combine creativity with what manufacturing has to offer today.”
Leucos’ most iconic pieces are now available exclusively in Australia through Dedece. Aella, originally designed in 1968 by Toso & Massari, remains the brand’s hero piece and comes in floor, pendant and table iterations. Inspired by a whirlpool, its sculptural, handblown dome comes alive when lit. “It’s like a candle. It’s a live, moving thing,” he notes. Leucos has again partnered with Noti Massari to create the new Aella Openworked – inspired by Swiss watches, the base is translucent to highlight the beauty of the internal mechanics.
Stacking is a collaboration with renowned architect David Rockwell that pushes glass into modular, colour-rich forms that are available in horizontal and vertical configurations. JJ BIG – Grip was inspired by cinematic lighting and pairs a classic lamp head with professional-grade grip arms for complete adjustability in indoor and outdoor settings. The delicate Aurelia pendant, designed by Patrick Jouin, features a handblown glass diffuser in three elegant finishes, with a choice of gunmetal, brass or white metal finishes. Each design continues to inspire new iterations. “That’s why we don’t call them products, we call them systems,” he says. “So we can leave a door open to the creative process.”
He believes Australia is an ideal home for the brand. “Looking at the houses and the level of taste here, I think Australia is a perfect marketplace.” For Dedece’s founder Tim Engelen, the feeling is mutual. “Leucos’ exceptional artistry and relentless innovation has cultivated their reputation as a celebrated design house. We are delighted to welcome this illustrious brand to Dedece.”
