The Endearing Radical Designs of Memphis Milano

An overview of the avant-garde design collective that inspired Karl Lagerfeld and rewrote the rules of creativity one object at a time.

WRITER: Felix Petty

For GOAT’s Radical Design Exhibit, a selection of Memphis Milano pieces are made available for purchase.

Memphis Milano revolutionized industrial design. Formed in Milan by Ettore Sottsass, the collective’s use of geometric shapes, primary colors, clashing prints and anthropomorphic forms broke from the style orthodoxy of the time, challenging perceptions and polarizing tastes. Beyond representing shifting aesthetics, the group's true design breakthrough lay in deconstructing the modernist principle of form following function, instead adhering to the motto of “form follows fun.” It can be difficult to decipher what each piece is actually used for, blurring the lines between lamp and sculpture; bookcase and table.

During a trip to India in the early ’60s, Sottsass suffered a bout of severe illness. It was while recuperating in California among the nascent hippie and beatnik scenes that he formulated an ideal of design objects carrying a symbolic weight, surmising that mass consumption had reduced the value society placed on furniture. He formed Memphis in 1980 to explore these concerns, naming the collective after the Bob Dylan song “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.

Over 2,000 people showed up to Memphis’ first exhibition in 1981, featuring work by Sottsass and the collaborators he assembled: Martine Bedin, Michele De Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Aldo Cibic, George Sowden and Matteo Thun. They quickly became renowned in the world of design, but by 1985 Sottsass had left the group and Milano stopped operating altogether in 1987. Over time, the group’s work resonated throughout culture, inspiring everything from BMX companies and Nickelodeon set designs to Miu Miu runway collections and Saint Laurent sneakers.

Below, an overview of influential pieces by Memphis’ most prominent designers.

The Carlton Room Divider, designed by Ettore Sottsass. Easily identified by its anthropomorphic form and clashing color palette, the shelving unit was a favorite of Karl Lagerfeld and David Bowie.

The Brazil Table, designed by Peter Shire. Originally shown at the group's 1981 exhibition, the piece combined Sottsass’ interest in hippie culture with the brightly colored modernism gaining traction in Shire's native California.

The Super Lamp, designed by Martine Bedin. Based on a sketch discovered by Sottsass in one of Bedin’s notebooks, the lamp is designed to be trailed along like a dog on a leash, with exposed light bulbs splayed out from its semicircular form like a dinosaur.

The Kyoto Table, designed by Shiro Kuramata. With a background in creating objects for Japanese department stores, the piece's use of colorful terrazzo has seen the table transcend generations.

The Carrot Vase, designed by Nathalie du Pasquier. Combining bold colors and prints, du Pasquier's vase represents Memphis Milano's stylistic ethos and showcases her penchant for painting and printmaking.