SOLD
First edition 'Baffo' lounge chair by Ezio Didone and Gianni Pareschi for Gruppo Industriale Busnelli, Italy. Chromed tubular steel frame and saddle-stitched leather seat.
 
Dimensions: Height 34.4 in. (87,5 cm), width 31.1 in. (79 cm), depth 37.0 in. (94 cm), seat height 9.8 inches (25 cm). Beautiful patine.
 
The iconic Baffo (Mustache) chair was designed for Busnelli in 1969 by Ezio Didone and Gianni Pareschi, two designers who were also part of the progressive designer collective Gruppo DAM (Designers Associati Milano).
With the thick leather seat suspended in the frame, the chair has all the characteristics of a so-called "sling chair". But the dimensions and the detailing at the same time give the chair the pop-art-like character, which is so typical of the Italian design of around 1970.
 
Ezio Didone (1939) graduated in Industrial Design from Politecnico di Milano in 1967. After working for Gianfranco Frattini for some time, he opened his own studio in Milano in 1970. In addition to industrial design, he was involved in graphic design and architecture. Besides his various designs for Busnelli, Didone has worked for many leading companies during the last 50 years, such as Arteluce-Flos, Bardelli, Felicerossi, Rima, Santambrogio & De Berti, and Valenti. Noteworthy in this respect is also his collaboration with the lighting company Relco, for which he not only designed numerous products, but also the corporate identity, the head office and various exhibition stands.
 
Gianni Pareschi (1940-2017) also studied at the Politecnico di Milano, where he graduated in 1965. Soon after, he developed into one of the protagonists of Italian Radical Design. In addition to the Baffo, he was (partly) responsible for iconic chairs such as the Fiocco and the Libro. These chairs, which are both in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, are often mentioned in the same breath as the designs of groups like Archizoom and Superstudio. In the 1970s Pareschi headed Studio G14's Industrial Design Center and was closely involved in the reorganization and professionalization of the ADI (the professional association of Italian industrial designers). In the course of time, Pareschi developed into a specialist in the field of kitchen design and could count companies such as Boffi, Sarila and Scavolini among his clients.
 
The Baffo chair on offer is a vintage piece from the first edition. As opposed to the black leather copies, the version in brown leather hasn’t been re-edited.