Kartell • UMBRELLA STAND
Umbrella stand
Recycled thermoplastic technopolymer from industrial scrap, with soft-touch effect. Designed by Gino Colombini. Kartell edition.
REF. 92064
Diam.25 x H.60cm
In Stock
Gino Colombini (1915–2011) was an Italian architect and industrial designer. From 1933 to 1952, Colombini worked in the Milan practice of the architect and designer Franco Albini.
From 1953 to 1960, Colombini was the technical director of Kartell, which was founded by Giulio Castelli to produce plastic injection moulded products. Kartell produced modern household appliances that were distinctive and colourful, which represented a complete transition from the typical utilitarian aesthetic of the 1950s.
Colombini designed many household products for Kartell that were revolutionary and affordable examples of everyday items. His products include a carpet beater (1957), a lemon squeezer (1958), plastic wash basins, salad colanders, lunch boxes and a long-handled cleaning scoop (1959). One of his most famous designs is a round umbrella stand made from ABS plastic with a stainless steel ashtray top (1965). Colombini was awarded the Compasso d'Oro for designs that he produced for Kartell in 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960. He died in 2011.
Founded by Giulio Castelli in 1949, in the early years Kartell took its first steps to produce the distinctive design that would come to epitomise the 'Made in Italy’ label.
In 1988 the company was acquired by Claudio Luti, who sought collaborations with designers and architects like Philippe Starck, Ron Arad, Antonio Citterio, Ferruccio Laviani, Piero Lissoni, Patricia Urquiola, Mario Bellini, Alberto Meda and Vico Magistretti, who were responsible for those products that soon came to symbolise the brand.
The fresh approach to materials dictated the new direction and brought real turning points for Kartell: studying, manipulating and enriching materials resulted in an end product which offered unprecedented characteristics.
The turning point came when, after years of research and thanks to a revolutionary innovation, in 1999 Kartell became the first company in the world to use polycarbonate to produce furnishing items. From this moment on, the company developed and explored the theme of transparency that has made it unique and original.
The continuous research of new shapes and surfaces, sustained from the beginning by the use of new technologies and high-performance materials, have made it possible to create products like nothing ever created before.
