Just a few days ago a new book on Michele de Lucchi was presented: "Michele de Lucchi" with text written by Maria Christina Didero (both in Italian and English) and illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia.

Michele de Lucchi

texts by Maria Cristina Didero
illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia

“The story of my life is the story of my beard”
Michele De Lucchi

Architect, designer, creator, businessman, craftsman and painter: the magic formula of Michele De Lucchi’s talent is definitely hidden away in his thick beard, witness of time passing onto his multi-faceted career.

From his famous lamp Tolomeo to the First chair, to the objects designed for Olivetti, to his recent Produzione Privata, in this new book Michele De Lucchi’s objects are presented through texts by Maria Cristina Didero and flighty illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia, that re-present them with colourful and unexpected trains of thought.
De Lucchi’s design perspective issues both from the self-reflection and the consideration of the human context that surrounds each object. While being both light yet exhaustive, this book features the works by one of most renowned figures of contemporary design, also putting a focus on his theoretical approach to design.

Maria Cristina Didero is a freelance journalist and independent curator. Since 1999 she handles new projects and institutional relations at Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. She writes about design for various national and international magazines as well as being curator for many exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Recently she collaborated with the Gwangju Design Biennial (South Korea) and set up Flat Design, the first design textiles label.
Steven Guarnaccia is Chair of the Illustration Department at Parsons The New School for Design. He has been art director of the Op-Ed page of the New York Times, created the illustrations for the show of Achille Castiglioni’s works at the MoMA and collaborated with several companies and magazines such as Abitare, Swatch and Disney. He was awarded prizes from AIGA, Art Directors Club and Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

A prominent figure in movements like Cavart, Alchymia and Memphis, Michele De Lucchi collaborated with  different companies such as Olivetti (for which he has been in charge of Design from 1992 to 2002), Artemide, Enel, Poste Italiane, Deutsche Bahn, Vitra, Kartell and Poltrona Frau. His works have always gone side-by-side with a personal research in the fields of design, technology and crafts.