Cooper Hewitt says...
B. & B. Italia is an international furniture company that has taken an innovative approach to furniture design since the late 1960’s. The company founder, Pier Ambrogio Busnelli aimed to distinguish the company by focusing on innovative design techniques and materials. In keeping with their founders focus on innovation, B. & B Italia has created furniture that responds to the cultural demands of the times. For example one of their more provocative campaigns in 1972, featured Donna Jordan, who was one of Andy Warhol’s inspirations. During the 1980’s the company continued to conceptualize the ways in which furniture design could relate to the radical cultural changes of the time. They developed designs such as “Sity,” a seating system that has multiple parts that can be moved into different compositions. In the 1990’s B.& B designers reinvented the bookcase creating a shelved wall system with sliding doors which was not only sleek and modern in design but also was an approached to saving space.
B. & B Italia focus continues to investigate innovative approaches to how furniture design can meet the social and cultural needs of the time. The company currently operates through two brands, B. & B and Maxalto, which sell unique furniture internationally.
