Ultrafragola is a light mirror designed by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass in 1970 for Poltronova. The sinuous design of the Ultrafragola mirror frame is inspired by the undulations of a woman's hair.
Ultrafragola is part of the Mobili Grigi collection, a set of bedroom and living room furniture designed by designer Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova. This collection, which includes the luminous mirror Ultrafragola, was presented at the third edition of Eurodomus in 1970. Ultrafragola, named for its strawberry-red hue, is the only mass-produced piece in the collection.
The Ultrafragola mirror, like the other pieces of furniture in the same collection, reflects the poetic and conceptual vision of Ettore Sottsass, for whom light plays a central role in the aesthetic and emotional experience offered by design. Ultrafragola takes all the aesthetic codes of a mirror combined with those of a lamp, in order to make the light that emanates from it material, and transform "nights into matter" says designer Ettore Sottsass, in the manner of Japanese lights.
The Ultrafragola mirror is perfect for decorating bedrooms or living rooms, and enhances both classic and modern atmospheres, punctuating them all with a vintage touch.
Born in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1917, he studied architecture at the Turin Polytechnic, graduating in 1939. Ettore Sottsass is considered to be one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. He began his career as an architect in his father's firm, and together they set about rebuilding their country after the war. Generally building only social housing, Ettore Sottsass turned to design, failing to realise his ambitions in architecture, and decided to open his own agency in Milan in 1947. A master of colour and lighting effects, he combines architecture and design. During his career, Sottsass collaborated with many designers, including George Nelson in New York and Olivetti in Italy. He creates furniture and lighting for Artemide and table accessories for Alessi. With the Callimaco floor lamp, Ettore Sottsass created one of the great classics of design.
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POLTRONOVA
Poltronova is a renowned company that has significantly shaped the history of design. Founded in 1957 by Sergio Cammilli, it was the first to include both prominent Italian design names such as Gae Aulenti, Giovanni Michelucci, Angelo Mangiarotti, and Paolo Portoghesi, as well as representatives of the New Design movement, known as the Radicals, including the groups Archizoom and Superstudio. This multidimensional approach reflected the diversity and boldness of Italian design at the time. Ettore Sottsass Jr. played a pivotal role in Poltronova's history by becoming its artistic director in 1958.