No Comments Written by Robert on May 21, 2008 – 10:11 pm

Bel Design, which translates to “beautiful design” in English, was the Italian equivalent to Good Design in Germany.

Bel Design had its heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with the onset of Italy’s economic boom and ending when the oil crisis and industry-critical antidesign movements resulted in widespread cynicism about design’s role in progress.

The typical characteristics of Bel Design were elegant form, experimentation, and collaborations with industries interested in and open to innovation.

Collaborations with the plastics industry proved to be especially productive.

Bel Design produced many modern classics such as Plia, Giancarlo Piretti’s Plexiglas folding chair for Castelli (1968), 4867, Joe Colombo’s chair for Kartell (1968), Selene, Vico Magistretti’s plastic chair for Artemide (1969), and the Divisumme 18, Mario Bellini’s calculator for Olivetti (1972).