1. A Multitalented Designer
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, Italy. As a child, he developed a true passion for everything related to design and interior architecture. A painter, ceramicist, jewelry creator, writer, and even photographer — his creative hats were many and varied.
He began his professional life in New York, where he discovered Pop Art and industrial design. His work soon caught the attention of Poltronova, a furniture company, which hired him as its artistic director. There, he created the “Mobili Grigi” series, known for its monochromatic colors and innovative use of plastic and fiberglass.
2. Design as a Way to Debate Life
In 1980, he founded the Memphis Group, an influential Italian design movement, alongside other designers and architects. They achieved great success at the Milan Furniture Fair thanks to their bold use of colors, geometric shapes, and innovative material combinations that captivated the public.
Ettore used color abundantly — for him, it was a “sign of vital energy” — and he combined veneered wood with bronze or aluminum to create pieces that were modern, ultra-pop, and joyful, standing in contrast to the coldness of industrial design.
Casablanca Bookcase, an iconic piece of the Memphis Group.
“Designing is not about shaping a more or less stupid product for a more or less luxurious industry. For me, design is a way to debate life.”
3. Ceramics and Jewelry
Deeply influenced by a life-changing experience in India and fascinated by the rituals he observed there, Sottsass began creating ceramics in 1956 — most notably a series of totems. These totems would later inspire a collection of architecturally styled jewelry.
He called them “miniature architectures with an ancient air, meant for queens and priestesses rather than the women of our society.” Jewelry that was both contemporary and ancestral — and that remained relatively unknown.
Here are a few of them:
All his creations were made for his wife, Nanda. The designer drew inspiration from ancient adornments and organic materials such as ivory, coral, ebony, and semi-precious stones. He played with color and volume to create highly graphic and geometric pieces.
“I would like to design jewelry as a tribute to an intelligent, generous woman — a queen in her own right.”
I particularly love the boldness of this designer, who managed to express his rebellious, modern, and joyful spirit through every creation. We all know his famous Casablanca bookcase, but far fewer are familiar with his jewelry line — which reminds me of certain Bauhaus influences and resonates deeply with me.
And here is his “Asteroid Lamp,” whose U-shape reminds me of our own L’Origine bracelet.
