BOOK: MADE IN CASSINA

Cassina has always been set apart from other furniture manufacturers by the

broad sweep of their product range and the various ideologies it has happily

embraced. Best known in the modern era as holders of the furniture license

for Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, et al, the

company was also at the cutting edge of innovation in the 60s and 70s,

helping to demystify modernism as it evolved into a colourful, neo-utopian

blend of technology and fashion, thanks to designers like Vico Magistretti,

Mario Bellini and Gaetano Pesce. As a result, Cassina neatly bridged the gap

between modern and post-modern, heading up Italy's claim to being the global

centre for the 80s-era explosion in colour, pattern and formal innovation in

furniture design. The company has also had forays into nautical design,

building Gio Ponti's splendid interior for the ill-fated Andrea Doria and

several other examples of ocean-going originality. The company, founded in

1927, placed craft at the top of its agenda from the outset, an attitude

that helped attract the best designers. This monograph brings together

interviews with those pioneers as well as sumptuous illustrations of the

objects they created.

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.