KARTELL
Since the 1950s the label Kartell has been manufacturing plastic furniture – and as pioneer has been fighting for the equality of their characteristic material. With success! Plastic as a material for furniture has moved into our living spaces and it has become hard to imagine our homes without the mostly very colourful chairs, shelves, tables, and living accessories!
Kartell was founded in the year 1949 by Giulio Castelli, chemist by trade and well versed in the research of new materials. After Castelli first developed plastic parts for automobiles and lights, and replaced glass objects in the laboratory equipment with plastic parts he also started designing furniture for interior furnishing purposes in the 1960s. From this point in time on Kartell's success story was unstoppable.
Just as innovative as the materials by Kartell were their designs: futuristic, modern, with trendy elements, intense colours, but super functional at the same time. A special asset of the Kartell products: Tables, chairs, stools, containers, and living accessories are not only extremely robust and durable, but also super lightweight.
In cooperation with well known designers like Philippe Starck, Maarten van Severen, Piero Lissoni, Ron Arad, Ronan, and Erwan Bouroullec or Michele de Lucchi Kartell created numerous designer furniture made of plastic in the past 50 years that advanced to the status of best sellers in the meantime, including the stylish Masters Chair, as well as the Louis Ghost armchair by Philippe Starck, the popular modular system Componibili by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, and the colourful Spoon series by Antonio Citterio.
In the course of several years Kartell reached not only national, but also international renown and was nominated for different design awards countless times. Kartell won the much sought-after design award "Compasso d'Oro" a total of nine times, among others with the Mobil Container and the Bubble Club Sofa.
In the past ten years Kartell has reinforced its position as market leader in the area furnishing and furniture design made of plastic: Today there are 120 Kartell flagship stores and 180 store-in-store shops. Kartell products are sold in 96 countries.