82 - MARIO BELLINI (Milan, 1935) for B&B Italia.

MARIO BELLINI (Milan, 1935) for B&B Italia. Le Bambole, two-seater sofa, model LBA2. Original upholstery in dark brown leather. Showroom model with small signs of wear. Produced by B&B Italian, with label. Measurements: 75 x 169 x 91 cm. Seat height 38 cm. The Bambole armchair, with its large, soft cushions, is an icon of 1970s Italian design and winner of the Compasso d’Oro in 1979. It was a revolutionary design, featuring a series of large upholstered cushions arranged almost randomly, reflecting the transformations taking place in society at the beginning of that decade. The design’s innovation led photographer Oliviero Toscani to photograph Donna Jordan (a model he met at Warhol’s Factory) lying on it with her breasts exposed. These images were initially censored but later circulated around the world in magazines and design manuals. Trained as an architect at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Mario Bellini founded his studio in 1987, and his brand went on to win the Gold Medal of the Chartered Society of Designers in the United Kingdom. In addition, he has received the Compasso d’Oro eight times, and 25 of his works are part of the permanent design exhibition at MoMA in New York. His profession extends beyond architecture and urban planning, as his passion for interior design has led him to become a furniture designer, collaborating with internationally renowned brands such as Cassina, Kartell, Rosenthal, Venini, Vitra, Driade, and Natuzzi. Bellini’s impact and influence have led him to be involved in notable projects such as The Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre in 2012 and the expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2003.