Exploring the timelessness of Made in Italy with B&B Italia
Who better to gather in a room during the London Design Festival to discuss the timelessness of Made in Italy design than Jay Osgerby and Michael Anastassiades, two London-based designers who, between them, have created some of the most iconic contemporary examples. And what better place for them to meet than in B&B Italia’s showroom.
Founded by Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B Italia was one of the handful of brands that launched the first Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan, allowing a spellbound world an opportunity to explore the craftsmanship and innovation that makes Italian design such a force. It is the enduring legacy of both that decision and B&B Italia’s own design heritage, that was the topic of conversation when Osgerby and Anastassiades joined ELLE Decoration’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Spriggs for an enlightening Design Discussion.
Traversing the legacy that underpins all modern B&B Italia designs, the designers delved into how they have taken the brand’s innovative history as a spark to push the boundaries and create today’s (and tomorrow’s) Made in Italy icons.
Guests at the showroom there to listen could take in the beauty of the ‘Tobi-Ishi’ table by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby (on display behind the speakers in its striking striped marble version) or Michael Anastassiades’s ‘Jack’ shelving system, but these are not the only Italian designs by the two men that have been making waves this year. Serial collaborators, both Osgerby and Anastassiades have also impressed with work for fellow Italian brand Flos.
Anastassiades celebrated the 10th anniversary of his iconic ‘IC’ light in luxurious fashion with the launch of the ‘IC10’ in 24 carat gold, with each piece signed by the man himself. Meanwhile Jay Osgerby and Edward Barber added to their popular ‘Bellhop’ lighting series with the ‘Bellhop Glass’, progressing the story of the piece’s recognisable silhouette.
The future of Made in Italy design is safe in hands like these and other B&B Italia collaborators – we just look forward to seeing what new designs will be revealed at next year’s Salone del Mobile in April…
