Ginger & Fred Salt and Pepper Shakers by Michele De Lucchi for Rosenthal, Germany, 1990s, Set of 2

Celebrated for his thoughtful, radical, and experimental body of work, Italian architect-designer Michele De Lucchi has been an influential voice in the international design scene from the 1980s until today.

De Lucchi was born in Ferrara in 1951 and studied architecture in Padua and Florence, graduating in 1975. During his time as a student, he collaborated with Cavart, a group of like-minded radical designers in Padua, and later joined Studio Alchimia in Milan at the invitation of architect-designer Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007).

In 1980, under the direction of Sottsass, De Lucchi cofounded postmodern design group Memphis, alongside his colleagues Martine Bedin, Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Shiro Kuramata, Javier Mariscal, Alessandro Mendini, Luciano Paccagnella, Nathalie du Pasquier, Barbara Radice, George Sowden, Matteo Thun, and Marco Zanini. Inspired by Pop Art and looking to disrupt business-as-usual in the design industry, the group created pieces in clashing, bold color combinations and surprising, conceptually-driven shapes. Their first exhibition in 1981 launched the group into international notoriety. For Memphis, De Lucchi designed Crystal Table (1981), Lido Sofa (1981), Oceanic Lamp (1981), and First Chair (1983), among others. The group disbanded in the late ’80s

In 1990, De Lucchi founded Produzione Privata, a small-scale production and retail company through which he created objects using various arts and craft techniques. From 1992 to 2002, De Lucchi was the Director of Design for Olivetti, where he developed many experimental products and worked on various projects for Compaq Computers, Philips, Siemens, and Vitra. In 1998, he founded the architectural studio aMDL, with offices in Milan and Rome.

De Lucchi has collaborated with many renowned, global design companies, such as Alias, Alessi, Artemide, Baccarat, Hermès, Kartel, Riva 1920, and Dèvres, among others. Notable designs include Tolomeo Lamp for Artemide (1987); Segmenti Office Series for Kartell (1988); and OFX1000 Fax (1995), Echoes 20 Notebook (1995), and Art Jet 20 Printer (1999) for Olivetti. De Lucchi’s architectural merits are vast, from his Trunk Office Building in Pforzheim (2009-2012) and the Pavilion Unicredit in Milan (2013-2015), to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and Patrol Police Headquarters in Tbilisi (2006-2009).

De Lucchi’s work can be found in many museums worldwide, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Triennale di Milano, and the Neues Museum Berlin. Over the course of his career, De Lucchi has received numerous awards, like the Premio Compasso d’Oro ADI in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, and 2001; the Golden Fleece Order (2009); and the Presidential Order of Excellency from Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili (2010). In 2015, he was named the Designer of the Year by Architektur & Wohnen.

* Images courtesy of aMDL Archive

German porcelain manufactory Rosenthal was originally founded as a ceramics-painting studio by Philipp Rosenthal Sr. (1855-1937) in 1879 at Schloss Erkersreuth in Bavaria, near the Czech border. Its first highly popular product was an ashtray inscribed with the words “Resting place for lit cigars.” In 1890, the company moved to the neighboring hamlet of Selb and, a year later, began to manufacture its own porcelain, since white porcelain was, at that time, in short supply. Rosenthal’s first complete table service was called Empire; it was exhibited along with other lines at Paris’s Exposition Universelle in 1900.

With the dawn of the 20th century, Rosenthal began producing porcelain tableware and services formed and decorated in the latest styles, like the Jugendstil Botticelli (1903), the Art Nouveau Darmstadt (1905), and the all-white Maria (1916) lines. Successes with this au courant approach led the company to launch an art pottery division in 1910, dedicated to luxury tableware, vases, and other decorative objects. By the 1930s, figurines were another important Rosenthal product, most notably the Disney-licensed Mickey Mouse pieces introduced in 1931.

In 1934, Philipp Rosenthal was forced to leave his company and country when his Jewish ancestry came under persecution by the Nazi regime. Despite the loss of its founder, the Rosenthal company remained the premier supplier of high-quality porcelain tableware to the Third Reich. After the war, in 1950, Philip Rosenthal Jr. (1916-2001) joined his father's company as an advertising manager. By 1958, he had become its CEO, continuing his father’s vision to produce high-quality porcelain in line with progressive tastes. Through the rest of the 20th century, Rosenthal was the most commercially successful porcelain producer in Germany.

In the postwar era, Rosenthal’s most famous tableware lines have included 2000 by Raymond Loewy and Richard Latham (1954), Magic Flute by Bjørn Wiinblad (1959), Suomi by Timo Sarpaneva (1976), and Moon by Jasper Morrison (1997). The company has enjoyed many popular and critically acclaimed collaborations with designers and brands, like Salvador Dalì, Tapio Wirkkala, Walter Gropius, Andy Warhol, Ron Arad, Enzo Mari, Konstantin Grcic, and Versace.

Rosenthal's product lines have encompassed more than ceramics over the years. In 1972, the company began producing furniture, under the subsidiary Rosenthal Einrichtung, in Espelkamp, Germany. Standouts from this arm of Rosenthal include Gunter Ferdinand Ris and Herbert Selldorf’s futuristic Sunball Lounge Chair (1969), Verner Panton’s Relaxer Rocking Chair (1974), Burchard Vogtherr's Vario Pillo Sectional Sofa (1970s), Vico Magistretti’s lightweight Faun Chair (1970s), and Erwin Nagel’s multifunctional Quadrondo Table (1980s). Later, Rosenthal focused on the production of high-quality office furniture, as well as decorative accessories for private interiors.

In 1997, Rosenthal became an independent arm of the Waterford Wedgwood holding company, but in 2009 faced bankruptcy as the Irish parent began to fall apart. At this time, Rosenthal was sold to Italian housewares group Sambonet Paderno Industrie. Unfortunately, Rosenthal Einrichtung was desolved and only a limited archive of the company's archive was kept intact.

Today, Rosenthal GmbH offers a small, exclusive range of furniture options under the label of Rosenthal Interieur, alongside its classic porcelain and tabletop collections.

* All images courtesy of Rosenthal GmbH.