Mendini Alessandro

Biography

Alessandro Mendini is an Italian designer, architect, artist, theorist, and poet who graduated from Politecnico di Milano in 1959 with a degree in architecture. His designs have been characterized by his strong interest in mixing different cultural elements and different forms of expression, ranging from graphics, furniture, interiors, paintings, and architecture.

In the 1970s he was part of the Radical design movement. He became one of the founding members of the "Global Tools" collective, which was set up in 1973. In 1979 he joined the Studio Alchimia as a partner and there he worked with Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi.

For his artistic endeavors and his significant contributions to postmodernist design, Mendini has been awarded a number of international prizes, including the Compasso d'Oro in 1979, 1981, and 2014. He holds an honorary title from the Architectural League of New York as well as the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from France. Together with his brother Francesco, he ran his own practice in Milan called the Atelier Mendini and has collaborated with leading international brands including Cartier, Hermes, and Swarovski.