Anna Castelli Ferrieri

Anna Castelli Ferrieri

Italy, 1918 - 2006

“It is not true that what is useful is beautiful. It is what is beautiful that is useful. Beauty can improve people’s way of life and thinking.” - Anna Castelli Ferrieri

Trained as an architect in Milan, Castelli Ferrieri, started designing for Kartell in 1966, after being chosen as the architect for their headquarters. Famous for its critical role in the introduction of plastic as an acceptable material into the consumer market, Kartell was founded by Anna's husband-to-be, Guilio Castelli. At Kartell, experimenting with different kinds of plastic, she designed many innovative objects including the Componibili stackable container elements made of ABS plastic, and the Castelli Ferrieri 4822/44 stool that was the first successful combination of metal and polyurethane at Kartell.

For her beautiful and useful designs, Anna Castelli Ferrieri won numerous design awards, including the prestigious Compasso d’Oro, but the fact that most of her pieces are still in production speaks the highest praise.