Aside from the addition of English text, the new edition retains its original look and feel, according to Karmei Tse Morin, director if Ismei, the Hong Kong representative of Casa International.
The title was revamped to mark its entry into Hong Kong, Macau and Italy, while a traditional Chinese/English version is expected to run concurrently with the existing bilingual edition in the near future, as the magazine seeks to break into the Taiwan and Singapore scene.
Tse said there was huge market potential for design and lifestyle magazines in China. "The number of global travellers in China is increasing; advertisers in Italy and Europe want to market to these people," she said.
According to Tse, Casa International aims to distinguish itself from the numerous commercial and ad-driven magazines in Asia. "We wish to retain our integrity and attract advertisers via quality content," said Tse.
Compiled with content from three Italian titles, Casa International's claimed circulation in China is 120,000 copies. Casa claimed that the Hong Kong, Macau and Italian markets have taken 10 per cent of this circulation with the bilingual launch.
While Casa has a unique market position mixing lifestyle content with interior design features, Alice Chow, associate director of OMD Hong Kong, said the title needed to familiarise itself with the local scene and promote itself to advertisers.