Stefano Giovannoni

As Giovannoni recalled, that place and time was part of a movement that threw out all the rules. The result was a new vision for designers and architects. “That was where the concept of ‘radical architecture’ was born, which created a whole new language and way of expression in Italian design,” he says.

It may have influenced the naming of his first studio, founded with Guido Venturini in the 1980s. They called it “King-Kong.”

With an eye for communication and a penchant for cleverness, Giovannoni has designed some of the most successful products in the world. His credits include the Girotondo and Mami lines of household products for Alessi, Il Bagno Alessi, and the Bombo family for Magis.

Seeing the results of his products is more satisfying to Giovannoni than the many prestigious awards he’s won over the years. “It’s my job to think about how a product will be received in the marketplace,” he says. “That is something I take very seriously.”

Products such as the Bombo Stool, Chair First, Table First, and Dressed First—all designed for Magis—exemplify his innovative use of materials and original thinking. Chair First, for example, was the first three-dimensional plastic chair created through gas-injected air molding. Meanwhile, his adjustable Bombo Stool created a whole new typology and was so futuristic it appeared in the movie “Star Trek.”