Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.
The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.
While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.
Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.
Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.
Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
Set of Six Mahogany Chairs Mod.110 by Ico Parisi for Cassina - Italy - 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Beautiful set of six chairs in elegant mahogany and comfortable hazelnut-colored velvet born from the pencil of Ico Parisi and made since the 1960s, by the prestigious Cassina compan...
Velvet, Wood
Ico Parisi per MIM Roma Coppia di Sedie da Pranzo, Italia 1960s
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in Naples, IT
Coppia di sedie di Ico Parisi per MIM, Italia, anni '60. Chairs with a wooden frame and upholstery in original rope-colored fabric, designed by Ico Parisi for the MIM company in Rome...
Fabric, Wood
Ico Parisi, rare set of 6 walnut chairs with butterfly backrest
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Ico Parisi (1916-1996) Rare set of 6 walnut chairs with butterfly backrest. Manufactured by F.lli Colombo, Como, 1952.
Walnut
Italian Dining Chairs by Ico Parisi and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Italian Dining Chairs by Ico Parisi and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s. very good condition. I can sent more detail picture.please contact me. each price.
Walnut
Set of 4 Italian Dining Chairs by Ico & Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Paris, FR
20th-century collectible dining chairs designed by the iconic duo Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, mid-1950s. A classic, sculptural silhouette defined by a gently curved ba...
Upholstery, Beech
Pair of Ico Parisi for Singer and Sons Mid-Century Beige Leather Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Mid-Century side / game chairs with beige leather upholstery and solid slightly tapered backs, resting on four tapered square walnut legs. (ICO PARISI FOR SINGER & SONS)(PRIC...
Leather
Italian Modernist Scooped-Back Leather Lounge/Accent Chair by Ico Parisi for MIM
By Ico Parisi
Located in Kensington, MD
Chair of sculpted wood and vintage brown leather. Designed by Ico Parisi, the experimental mid century modernist designer. The lounge chair fits inside the range of elegant designs t...
Wood
$1,296 / item
Ico Parisi chairs for MIM Rome 1970s
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in bari, IT
Bentwood and fabric chairs with swivel steel base designer Ico Parisi for Mim (Rome) prod. Italy 1970 Possibility of single purchase
Metal
Mid Century Side Chair by Ico Parisi, Italy 1980's
By Ico Parisi
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
Very cute side or desk chair by Ico Parisi, Italy. It has been fabricated in the early 80's. Very rare piece. Lovely design with gold colored metal base and a shiny black seat and b...
Metal
Sedia da ufficio di Ico Parisi per MIM", Anni '70
By Ico Parisi
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Poltroncina da ufficio girevole con braccioli e schienale disegnata da Ico Parisi e prodotta da MIM (Mobili Italiani Moderni - Roma), Made in Italy Anni '60. The shell is made of cu...
Leather, Bentwood
Set of four chairs by Ico Parisi for Mim, Italy, 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of four chairs by Ico Parisi for Mim, Italy, 1960s. Four chairs with wooden structure and red fabric padding, designed by Ico Parisi for the MIM company in Rome. An elegant and ...
Fabric, Wood
Ico Parisi Mod 110, Italian Walnut and Leather Dining Chairs 1959
By Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian walnut and leather dining chairs by Ico Parisi for Brugnoli, 1959, set of four. Mod. 110
Leather, Walnut
$2,888
H 30.71 in W 18.12 in D 18.51 in
Set of Two Dining Room Chairs by Ico Parisi Model 110, Italy 1960s
By Figli di Amadeo Cassina, Ico Parisi
Located in Hellouw, NL
Ico Parisi’s talent for refining structure into elegance is evident in this rare pair of Model 110 dining chairs, designed in 1961 for Figli di Amedeo Cassina in Meda. The model is w...
Fabric, Teak
$5,186 / set
H 30.71 in W 17.72 in D 16.15 in
Six Dining Chairs "Model 101", by Gianfranco Frattini For Cassina, Italy 1960s
By Cassina, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Set of six Italian dining chairs, model 101, designed by Gianfranco Frattini in the 1960s and manufactured by Cassina. Fine rosewood combined with mint-colored fabric upholstery by L...
Fabric, Wood
$4,096
H 33.47 in W 94.49 in D 64.97 in
Ico Parisi Mid-Century Modern Italian Corner Sofa for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Puglia, Puglia
L corner sofa designed by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo Cantù. The sofa, as shown in the photo, is L-shaped, has a depth of 165cm and a length of 240cm...
Fabric, Beech
$2,888 / set
H 35.04 in W 17.72 in D 18.51 in
Set of 3 Mahogany Dining Chairs in the manner of Ico Parisi 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Berlin, DE
3 Dining Chairs in the manner of Ico Parisi, Italy - 1960s. Reupholstery option available in our in-house atelier. Please ask for a quote.
Fabric, Wood, Mahogany
$2,357Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 19.69 in W 28.35 in D 30.71 in
Ico Parisi Italian Midcentury Armchairs for Mim
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in bari, IT
Set of four armchairs in white fiberglass Kubilia series of Ico Parisi for M.I.M. Rome, Italy. Ico Parisi was born in Palermo in 1916. He gained a diploma in construction and served his apprenticeship in Giuseppe Terragni's studio. In 1937 he carried out, for the magazine Quadrante, a photographic study of the Casa del Fascio that marked the entire research that Parisi conducted in "meditating on the legacies and contradictions of the enormous baggage of ideas and forms constituted by the experience of the masters". His activity, marked by continuous experimentation, is an incessant quest in the fields of architecture, art and design. Between 1948 and 1950 he devoted himself to the study of furniture elements. In the field of design, crucial encounters with Munari and Fontana (1951) and Melotti profoundly marked his experience. In 1948 he founded the studio La ruota with his wife Luisa Aiani, a designer and designer, which ceased its activity in 1995. In 1954 he was awarded the Gold Medal at the X Milan Triennale with the work Padiglione Soggiorno, with Silvio Longhi and Luigi Antonietti. In 1957 he presented at the exhibition Colori e forme della casa d'oggi the work Casa per vacanze, which was the result of a collaboration with Manlio Rho...
Velvet, Fiberglass
$3,800 / set
H 31 in W 18 in D 16 in
Pr. Midcentury Dining Side Chairs Att. to Ico Parisi, circa 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in New York, NY
Chic sophisticated design mid century side chairs, in newly reupholstered ecru leather with sculptural wood frames. Italian made, attributed to Ice Parisi, circa 1940- 1950's. Both c...
Leather, Wood
Unavailable|$801
H 31.88 in W 21.65 in D 23.62 in
Ico Parisi swivel office chair for Mim Roma of the 60s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Catania, IT
Ico Parisi swivel office chair for Mim Roma of the 60s. Product n good condition with wear caused by years and use. Please carefully view the attache...
Metal
$9,800 / set
H 28 in W 39 in D 32 in
Rare Ico Parisi Italian Modern Lounge Chairs for MIM - A Set of 3
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in New York, NY
These rare lounge chairs were designed by Ico Parisi in the Mid-20th Century and produced by MIM (Mobili Italiani Moderni). The chairs are mahogany and bent plywood, with an elegant ...
Mahogany, Plywood
$17,681 / set
H 21.66 in W 21.26 in D 22.84 in
Pair of Modernist Armchairs in Pale Green Velvet Attributed to Ico Parisi, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
A pair of low-rise, elegant modernist slipper chairs, with the charm of Ico Parisi and representative of the Italian Fifties. Structural support in well-maintained, polished mahog...
Velvet, Wood
$2,200
H 33.47 in W 20.87 in D 23.63 in
Terni Series Office Chair by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, Italy, 1958
By Ico & Luisa Parisi, Ico Parisi
Located in Antwerp, BE
Office chair by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, a timeless masterpiece of mid-century Italian design. This office chair from Ico Parisi's renowned Terni series was crafted in 1958. Made of ...
Metal
Set of Eight Dining Chairs Attributed to Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Stockton, NJ
A set of eight rare dining chairs attributed to Ico Parisi. Wonderful proportions and design. Excellent condition with new tweed upholstery.
Upholstery, Wood
$2,180 / set
H 29.93 in W 24.81 in D 24.81 in
Late 1970s New Old Stock Foldable Deck Chairs Attributed to Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Weesp, NL
Beautiful new old stock foldable deckchairs from the late 1970's produced by Fratelli Reguitti, Italy. The chairs are made of beech wood and are in excellent condition as can be s...
Beech
Set of 6 chairs by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950.
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in MADRID, ES
Set of 6 chairs by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950. Ico Parisi was an architect, designer, and photographer. He was born in Palermo and later moved to Como, where he trained a...
Wood
Set of 10 Ico Parisi model 110 chairs for Cassina, Italy, 1961
By Cassina, Ico Parisi
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Set of 10 Ico Parisi model 110 chairs for Cassina, Italy, 1961 A rare and important set of 10 dining chairs designed by Ico Parisi, model 110, and produced by Cassina in 1961. These ...
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
Two '814' Chairs by Luisa and Ico Parisi for Cassina 1960s
By Cassina, Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Two chairs with armrests made with stained beech wood frame, renewed seat and back with foam padding and leatherette upholstery in shades of taupe. Restored.
Beech
Sold
H 37 in W 17.25 in D 19 in
Expertly Restored - Mid-Century Desk Chair by Ariberto Colombo for Ico Parisi
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precis...
Fabric, Mohair, Foam, Wood, Beech
Group of four chairs 110 by Ico Parisi for Cassina Anni '60s
By Cassina, Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Group of 4 chairs, exotic wood, renewed foam padding, fabric upholstery. Very good condition, fully restored.
Fabric, Wood
Ico Parisi Rosewood and Suede Desk Chair, 1950s Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful blend of Italian vintage and modern functionality, this Rosewood & suede desk chair by MIM Roma is an elegant addition to any space. Creat...
Suede, Rosewood
Chair by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, Year 1950
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Chair by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s. Chair produced by Ariberto Colombo based on a design by Ico Parisi in the ' years. Made of maple wood, original faux leather seat. ...
Wood, Maple
Ico Parisi for MIM Wooden Dining Chair Italy 1950s
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in Naples, IT
This chair was designed by Ico Parisi and manufactured by M.I.M. Rome in the 1950s. The combination of green upholstery and wood creates a balanced design. With manufacturer's label.
Velvet, Wood
Sold
H 35.83 in W 17.72 in D 20.87 in
1950's Italian Chairs by Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, Set of Two
By Ico Parisi
Located in Paris, FR
Two 20th century collectible chairs designed by the iconic duo Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo in the mid-1950s. This classic design is highlighted by the curved backrest, ...
Upholstery, Beech
Ico Parisi Green Velvet Armchairs for MIM, Original Label
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Wonderful pair of armchairs designed by Ico Parisi for the fine Italian manufacturer MIM in the 1950s. A metal label from MIM Roma is present where the seat is. The structure of the ...
Velvet, Wood
Ico Parisi Faux Leather Armchairs for MIM, Original Label
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Wonderful pair of leatherette armchairs designed by Ico Parisi for the fine Italian manufacturer MIM in the 1950s. A metal label from MIM Roma is present where the seat is. The struc...
Faux Leather, Wood
Sold
H 37.41 in W 16.93 in D 19.69 in
Set of 6 Ico and Luisa Parisi Chairs, Manufactured by Ariberto Colombo, 1950s
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This set of six chairs was designed in Italy in the 1950s by Ico and Luisa Parisi and manufactured by Ariberto Colombo. All chairs are made of dark mahogany wood, the seat is upholst...
Faux Leather, Wood