This book analyzes the work of Vico Magistretti in the field of industrial design. Starting in the 1960s, the Milanese architect designed over 300 products and furniture pieces; about a fifth of these is still in production.
Research in the archives of the Fondazione Vico Magistretti, analysis of specialist magazines and interviews with furniture companies has offered some surprising answers to the question: why does a brand stops manufacturing design classics.
Some products were so successful they gave rise to cheap copies, thus eventually forcing brands to remove them from their catalog; others were too expensive to carry on manufacturing, and still others simply did not turn out to be popular.
Essays on the use of photography in the marketing of design products and on media coverage of furniture from the 1960s to the 2000s accompany a thorough analysis of twelve iconic pieces, portrayed in the opening visual essay.
Edited by Anniina Koivu, with contributions and interviews by Maddalena Dalla Mura, Davide Fornari, Anniina Koivu, Carolien Niebling, Rosanna Pavoni, Francesco Zanot.
The “Visual Archives” series presents the results of research projects conducted at ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. It focuses on unpublished material on designers, authors and companies. Together with visual material from the archives, the documents are contextualized and accompanied by critical essays.