The Italian designer and creator Ettore Sottsass was born in 1917 in the city of Innsbruck, the son of an Italian father and Austrian mother. He grew up in Milan and followed in his father's footsteps when he trained as an architect. In 1939 he graduates from the University of Turin with a degree in architecture. His career barely took off before he enlisted in the Italian army during World War II. After serving time in a prison camp in Yugoslavia, he returned to Italy in 1947. Back in Italy, he started his own furniture manufacturing business.
Over the next few decades, Ettore Sottsass designs furniture for Poltronova and Olivetti, among others. For Olivetti, he helps bring office supplies closer to popular culture, designing the now iconic Valentine travel writing machine. In addition to Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass also designs everyday objects for Alessi.
In 1981, Sottsass co-founded the Italian design collective Memphis. Sottsass takes his name from Bob Dylan's song "Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again", which was played at the group's very first meeting. Together with young designers, they revolt against the prevailing ideals, something they call an anti-design movement. Sottsass was to become one of the leading figures of the postmodern design movement, which turned against the ideals of strict functionalism, led by the Bauhaus. Memphis' design language draws inspiration from art deco as well as pop art and the kitsch of the 1950s. Common materials used in Memphis design include laminate in bright colours and terrazzo.
Ettore Sottsass' most famous works include the Ultrafragola mirror. Designed in 1970 for Poltronova, the mirror is characterised by its original frame, whose wavy shapes are inspired by long, beautiful hair. The light pink frame has integrated light sources that spread an atmospheric glow around its surroundings. Other famous works include the Carlton bookcase, the Valigia table lamp and the Callimaco floor lamp.
