DIARIO 01, ISSUE 11
Women, Artists, Mothers
In the male-dominated world of architecture and design of the 20th century Gae Aulenti, Gabriella Crespi, Charlotte Perriand, and Andrée Putman were brilliant exceptions. Their indomitable spirits inspired the careers of their daughters.
Gae Aulenti 4794 Lounge Chair for Kartell, c. 1972
©Corbis/Vogue Italia
Aulenti’s 1993 Tour table for Fontana Arte
Gae Aulenti: Objects, Spaces by Vanni Pasca
Milanese Gae Aulenti and Gabriella Crespi were trailblazers. Gae Aulenti studied architecture in defiance of her parents’ hope that she would be “a nice society girl.” She was prolific and successful, and her projects include the refurbishments of Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Her many interests led her to work also on stage sets for the opera. Her daughter, Giovanna Buzzi, shared this passion for the theater, becoming an acclaimed costume designer.
The Great Hall of the Musee D'Orsay Art Gallery and Museum. © Benh LIEU SONG/wikicommons
As Gae Aulenti was austere, Gabriella Crespi was glamorous. Crespi was born and married into rich Milanese families but was more interested in expressing herself creatively than in leading a bourgeois life, and became famous for her handcrafted objects and furniture (she patented the mechanisms that made her sculptural cabinets open like clamshells.) Daughter Elisabetta collaborated with her mother on a series of “metamorphic” furniture and celebrated her mother’s exceptional life by opening her house to the public during Milan Design Week 2018.
A portrait of Gabriella Crespi. (1970) ©Oliviero Toscani/Archivio Gabriella Crespi
Gabriella and Elisabetta Crespi - Milan, 2011 © SGP
Brass over wood desk by Gabriella Crespi, c. 1975
Work for her was like another child: she never wanted to part from it. She was happy only when she had her craftsmen by her side.
Elisabetta, daughter of Gabriella Crespi, on her mother.
In France there were two queens of creativity: Andrée Putman and Charlotte Perriand. Andrée Putman was a furniture and interior designer who founded the company Ecart and established herself internationally for her chic interiors, which were quickly embraced by the couture world. She had a talent for translating a unique fashion style into interior décor and was hired by important designers like Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld. Her daughter Olivia is a designer as well and heir to her mother’s Studio Putman.
Anne Fontaine NYC by Andrée Putman. ©Studio Putman
Compass Dans L'Oeil Table Lamp by Andreé Putman for Baldinger & Sons, 1980s. ©Felix Bachmann
© Antonio Terron/AD Spain
© 2019 BRABBU/DESIGN FORCES.
Good design is pure and simple, and I am interested in that family of things that will never date.
Andrée Putman
Putman compatriot Charlotte Perriand was a pioneer of the modernist movement. Although initially turned down by Le Corbusier’s studio because she was a woman, Perriand was finally hired to design all the interiors for his projects. Perriand created furniture using steel, leather, and other materials that were then rarely used in domestic settings and worked under the belief that beautiful design leads to a better life. She was undoubtedly one of the most important designers of the 20th century and her daughter Pernette worked alongside her for over 25 years.
Perriand delights in a rocky readymade recliner. 1939. © Fondation le Corbusier
LC7 Swivel Chair designed by Perriand & Le Corbusier, 1928
Charlotte Perriand in 1934. Archives Charlotte Perriand 2013
Antony Daybed by Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand, 1950s
Ippolita has much in common with these women. She is a mother of two and her voracious artistic temperament has always given her the need to express herself creatively. She started first as a sculptor and then as a jewelry maker. She began crafting body ornaments with a distinct sculptural quality, launching the brand IPPOLITA. With her experimental approach to jewelry, she has invented new stone cuts and precious metal alloys to accurately give shape to her vision. Her passion for craftsmanship and the urge to save Italian artisanal tradition led her to start a second company, Artemest. This leading online destination for luxury Made-in-Italy products gives a global platform to local manufacturers in a market overwhelmed by mass production. These artists, women and mothers, are examples of resolute temperaments and unique sensibilities and are our inspiration today and every day.
There is something magical about first impressions; their influence echoes through your work for the rest of your life.
Ippolita Rostagno
DIARIO 01, ISSUE 11
Gae Aulenti 4794 Lounge Chair for Kartell, c. 1972
©Corbis/Vogue Italia
Aulenti’s 1993 Tour table for Fontana Arte
Gae Aulenti: Objects, Spaces by Vanni Pasca
Milanese Gae Aulenti and Gabriella Crespi were trailblazers. Gae Aulenti studied architecture in defiance of her parents’ hope that she would be “a nice society girl.” She was prolific and successful, and her projects include the refurbishments of Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Her many interests led her to work also on stage sets for the opera. Her daughter, Giovanna Buzzi, shared this passion for the theater, becoming an acclaimed costume designer.
The Great Hall of the Musee D'Orsay Art Gallery and Museum. ©Benh LIEU SONG/wikicommons
In France there were two queens of creativity: Andrée Putman and Charlotte Perriand. Andrée Putman was a furniture and interior designer who founded the company Ecart and established herself internationally for her chic interiors, which were quickly embraced by the couture world. She had a talent for translating a unique fashion style into interior décor and was hired by important designers like Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld. Her daughter Olivia is a designer as well and heir to her mother’s Studio Putman.
Anne Fontaine NYC by Andrée Putman. ©Studio Putman
Compass Dans L'Oeil Table Lamp by Andreé Putman for Baldinger & Sons, 1980s. ©Felix Bachmann
©Antonio Terron/AD Spain
©2019 BRABBU/DESIGN FORCES.
Good design is pure and simple, and I am interested in that family of things that will never date.
Andrée Putman
Putman compatriot Charlotte Perriand was a pioneer of the modernist movement. Although initially turned down by Le Corbusier’s studio because she was a woman, the architect finally hired her to design all the interiors for his projects. Perriand created furniture using steel, leather, and other materials that were then rarely used in domestic settings and worked under the belief that beautiful design leads to a better life. She was undoubtedly one of the most important designers of the 20th century and her daughter Pernette worked alongside her for over 25 years.
Pictured with Le Corbusier in 1939, Perriand delights in a rocky readymade recliner. © Fondation le Corbusier
LC7 Swivel Chair designed by Perriand & Le Corbusier, 1928
The designer in 1934. Archives Charlotte Perriand 2013
Antony Daybed by Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand, 1950s
Ippolita has much in common with these women. She is a mother of two and her voracious artistic temperament has always given her the need to express herself creatively. She started first as a sculptor and then as a jewelry maker. She began crafting body ornaments with a distinct sculptural quality, launching the brand IPPOLITA. With her experimental approach to jewelry, she has invented new stone cuts and precious metal alloys to accurately give shape to her vision. Her passion for craftsmanship and the urge to save Italian artisanal tradition led her to start a second company, Artemest. This leading online destination for luxury Made-in-Italy products gives a global platform to local manufacturers in a market overwhelmed by mass production. These artists, women and mothers, are examples of resolute temperaments and unique sensibilities and are our inspiration today and every day.
There is something magical about first impressions; their influence echoes through your work for the rest of your life.
Ippolita Rostagno
OUR ONE-OF-A-KIND COLLECTION
Round Charm Bracelet with Diamonds in 18K Gold
All Stone Sophia Necklace with Diamonds in 18K Gold
2 Stone Drop Earrings in 18K Gold
DIARIO 01, ISSUE 11
©Corbis/Vogue Italia
Gae Aulenti 4794 Lounge Chair for Kartell, c. 1972
Gae Aulenti: Objects, Spaces by Vanni Pasca
Aulenti’s 1993 Tour table for Fontana Arte
Milanese Gae Aulenti and Gabriella Crespi were trailblazers. Gae Aulenti studied architecture in defiance of her parents’ hope that she would be “a nice society girl.” She was prolific and successful, and her projects include the refurbishments of Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Her many interests led her to work also on stage sets for the opera. Her daughter, Giovanna Buzzi, shared this passion for the theater, becoming an acclaimed costume designer.
The Great Hall of the Musee D'Orsay Art Gallery and Museum. © Benh LIEU SONG/wikicommons
As Gae Aulenti was austere, Gabriella Crespi was glamorous. Crespi was born and married into rich Milanese families but was more interested in expressing herself creatively than in leading a bourgeois life, and became famous for her handcrafted objects and furniture (she patented the mechanisms that made her sculptural cabinets open like clamshells.) Daughter Elisabetta collaborated with her mother on a series of “metamorphic” furniture and celebrated her mother’s exceptional life by opening her house to the public during Milan Design Week 2018.
A portrait of Gabriella Crespi. (1970) ©Oliviero Toscani/Archivio Gabriella Crespi
Brass over wood desk by Gabriella Crespi, c. 1975
Gabriella and Elisabetta Crespi - Milan, 2011 © SGP
Work for her was like another child:
she never wanted to part from it.
She was happy only when she had
her craftsmen by her side.
Elisabetta, daughter of Gabriella Crespi, on her mother.
©James Mollison/The Wall Street Journal Magazine (May 2015).
In France there were two queens of creativity: Andrée Putman and Charlotte Perriand. Andrée Putman was a furniture and interior designer who founded the company Ecart and established herself internationally for her chic interiors, which were quickly embraced by the couture world. She had a talent for translating a unique fashion style into interior décor and was hired by important designers like Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld. Her daughter Olivia is a designer as well and heir to her mother’s Studio Putman.
Anne Fontaine NYC by Andrée Putman. ©Studio Putman
Compass Dans L'Oeil Table Lamp by Andreé Putman for Baldinger & Sons, 1980s. ©Felix Bachmann
©2019 BRABBU/DESIGN FORCES.
© Antonio Terron/AD Spain
Good design is pure and simple, and I am interested in that family of things that will never date.
Andrée Putman
The designer in 1934. Archives Charlotte Perriand 2013
Putman compatriot Charlotte Perriand was a pioneer of the modernist movement. Although initially turned down by Le Corbusier’s studio because she was a woman, the architect finally hired her to design all the interiors for his projects. Perriand created furniture using steel, leather, and other materials that were then rarely used in domestic settings and worked under the belief that beautiful design leads to a better life. She was undoubtedly one of the most important designers of the 20th century and her daughter Pernette worked alongside her for over 25 years.
Pictured with Le Corbusier in 1939, Perriand delights in a rocky readymade recliner. © Fondation le Corbusier
LC7 Swivel Chair designed by Perriand & Le Corbusier, 1928
Antony Daybed by Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand, 1950s
Ippolita has much in common with these women. She is a mother of two and her voracious artistic temperament has always given her the need to express herself creatively. She started first as a sculptor and then as a jewelry maker. She began crafting body ornaments with a distinct sculptural quality, launching the brand IPPOLITA. With her experimental approach to jewelry, she has invented new stone cuts and precious metal alloys to accurately give shape to her vision. Her passion for craftsmanship and the urge to save Italian artisanal tradition led her to start a second company, Artemest. This leading online destination for luxury Made-in-Italy products gives a global platform to local manufacturers in a market overwhelmed by mass production. These artists, women and mothers, are examples of resolute temperaments and unique sensibilities and are our inspiration today and every day.
There is something magical about first impressions; their influence echoes through your work for the rest of your life.
Ippolita Rostagno
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