A few months back, on the 17 April 2024, during my visit to Milan Design Week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Gucci flagship store. Amidst the creative buzz of Design Ancora, an exhibit co-curated by Gucci and the Milan-based creative agency P:S, I encountered a stunning piece of design history: the Parola Lamp by FontanaArte x Gucci. This lamp, originally designed by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni in 1980, revisited contemporary design in the Rosso Ancora as part of Gucci Design Ancora. It stood out not only for its elegance but also for its technical sophistication.
Design Ancora, as explained by Michela Pelizzari, founder of this special project, aims to bring lesser-known masterpieces into the limelight, celebrating them as new icons. “Through Design Ancora, Gucci doesn’t simply celebrate old icons; it creates new ones,” Pelizzari remarked, emphasizing the exhibit’s mission to spotlight perfect but overlooked pieces by Italian design masters. Sabato De Sarno, Gucci’s new creative director, chose to start his new chapter with this temporary exhibition, featuring pieces representing the “golden age of Italian design.”
The Parola Lamp is a testament to the harmonious blend of craftsmanship and industrial innovation. This table lamp integrates three distinct types of glass: blown, natural, and natural crystal. Each type of glass adds a unique texture and quality, contributing to the lamp’s multifaceted elegance. The lamp’s frame is crafted from borosilicate glass, known for its durability and resistance to thermal shock. The diffuser, made from paste-coloured, polished blown glass, radiates a soft, dimmable light that can be adjusted to create the perfect ambiance. This design feature makes the Parola Lamp not only visually appealing but also highly functional. The base, made from beveled transparent glass, provides a stable and aesthetically pleasing foundation. The combination of these materials showcases the designers’ ability to merge artistic beauty with practical engineering seamlessly. Adding to the lamp’s sophistication is its black tiger fabric power cord, which includes a dimmer and plug, ensuring ease of use.
Seeing the Parola Lamp at the Gucci store during Milan Design Week wasn’t just a display of an old design, it was a celebration of enduring craftsmanship and a bridge between the past and the future of design. The exhibit reminded us that true design icons transcend time, retaining their relevance and appeal through decades. As I left the exhibit, the iconic Parola Lamp lingered in my mind, a symbol of impeccable design and the seamless integration of artistry and technology. Fortunately, on one of my sourcing trips to Italy, I found one!
For those interested in owning a piece of this design legacy, the Parola Lamp is available at Missy Decor in pink (1981) through this link. Each lamp represents a piece of history, a testament to the ingenuity of Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni, and a beacon of Italian design excellence and timeless beauty.
