To many people, postmodern design is synonymous with the Memphis Group. This Italian collaborative created the most radical and attention-getting designs of the period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look. Today, the Memphis Milano brand, which is managed by Alberto Bianchi Albrici, still produces designs created by the group between 1981 and 1988.
The Memphis story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the Milan Furniture Fair the next year, determined that all the new furniture they were then seeing was boring. Their mission: Boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. (Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, designed in 1970, embodied many of what would become the collective’s postmodern ideals.)
The group decided to design, produce and market their own collection, one that wouldn’t be restricted by concerns like functionality and so-called good taste. Its debut, at Milan’s 1981 Salone del Mobile, drew thousands of viewers and caused a major stir in design circles.
So as a record of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile” played on repeat, they took their name from the song, devised their marketing strategy and plotted the postmodern look that would come to define the decade of excess — primary colors, blown-up proportions, playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art. A high-low mix of materials also helped define Memphis, as evidenced by Javier Mariscal’s pastel serving trays, which feature laminate veneer — a material previously used only in kitchens — as well as Shiro Kuramata’s Nara and Kyoto tables made from colored glass-infused terrazzo.
An image of Sottsass posing with his collaborators in a conversation pit shaped like a boxing ring appeared in magazines all over the world, and Karl Lagerfield furnished his Monte Carlo penthouse entirely in Memphis furniture. Meanwhile, members like Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden, Sottsass and his wife, journalist Barbara Radice, went on to enjoy fruitful careers.
Some people think of the Milan-based collective as the design equivalent to Patrick Nagel’s kitschy screenprints, but for others Memphis represents what made the early 1980s so great: freedom of expression, dizzying patterns and off-the-wall colors.
Eventually, the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990s minimalism, and Memphis fell out of fashion. Sottsass left the group in 1985, and by 1987, it had disbanded. Yet decades later, Memphis is back and can be traced to today’s most exciting designers.
“As someone who was born in the 1980s, Memphis at times feels like the grown-up, artsy version of the toys I used to play with,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, cofounder of the Brooklyn studio Souda. “It feels a little nostalgic, but at the same time it seems like an aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to an internet age — loud, colorful and utilizing forms that are graphic and often a little unexpected.”
Find a collection of Memphis Milano seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Memphis Milano Freemont Cabinet by Ettore Sottsass, Italy
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
Resting on a base with five cylindrical legs, Freemont by Ettore Sottsass appears to grow strongly from the bottom to the top. With its fractured shapes, it branches out into the spa...
Gold Leaf
Memphis Milano Carlton Shelf by Ettore Sottsass
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
An absolute icon of Memphis designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981, Carlton fully represents the programmatic intention of the group: the desire to transgress with an irreverent, unorth...
Laminate, Wood
Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Here you are shown an authentic and perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase, originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass. The vivid colors and...
Wood, Plastic
Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Casablanca cabinet designed in 1981 for Memphis by Ettore Sottsass, in wood and plastic laminated colors. This is an unlimited edition with a number...
Wood, Plastic
Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Suvretta bookcase in plastic laminate was originally designed in 1981, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated...
Plastic
Beverly Wood Sideboard, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Beverly sideboard in wood and covered with plastic laminate and natural briar, plus a two-door container with shelf, was originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass for Memphi...
Wood, Plastic
Gritti Bookcase, by Andrea Branzi for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Andrea Branzi, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Gritti bookcase in plastic laminate, wood, metal and glass. Designed in 1981, by Andrea Branzi. Andrea Branzi, architect and designer, born in Florence,...
Metal
D'Antibes Wooden Storage Cabinet, by George Sowden for Memphis Milano Collection
By George Sowden, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Designed in 1981 by George Sowden, The "D'Antibes" is a piece of storage furniture with long legs. Cabinet in lacquered wood silkscreened on the two sid...
Wood
20th Century, Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Cabinet mod. Casablanca
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Turin, Turin
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...
Laminate, Wood
Nikko Drawers in Metal and Wood by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Shiro Kuramata
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Nikko drawers in metal and wood by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Drawers on metal structure, in wood and painted finish. Collection: Memph...
Metal
Gritti Bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, Italy, 1981
By Memphis Milano, Andrea Branzi
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Gritti bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis. Bookcase made of wood covered with decorative laminate and natural wood essence, decorative metal elements and glass tops. A perfect exa...
Glass, Wood
Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981 Carlton bookcase made entirely of wood, covered in colorful Formica: yellow, green, black, pink, red, or...
Formica, Wood
Ginza Wooden Robot by Umeda Masanori for Memphis Milano Collection
By Masanori Umeda, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Ginza wooden robot with plastic laminate, shelves & drawers by Masanori Umeda for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Wooden robot with ...
Plastic
Italian modern Glass, wood metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi Memphis, 2000s
By Andrea Branzi, Memphis Milano
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Glass, wood and metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, 2000s Floor bookcase mod. Gritti with a rectangular base, in wood, glass and metal. The peculiarity...
Metal
Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981 Suvretta bookcase entirely made of wood and covered in Formica. The front features three green laminate...
Formica, Wood
$16,843Sale Price / item|20% Off
'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
Probably the most iconic of all Ettore Sottsass' designs, the colourful Carlton is half room divider, half bookcase and full size sculptural marvel. Des...
Laminate, Wood
Malabar Sideboard by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Malabar sideboard with cupboard in plastic by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Sideboard with cupboa...
Plastic
Atlantic Chest of Drawers, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Michele de Lucchi
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
ATLANTIC Michele de Lucchi 1981 Cassettiera in legno rivestita in laminato decorativo, elementi in metallo e vetro. I cassetti di Atlantic sembrano delle stanze in miniatura che saranno abitate dai nostri ricordi, dai nostri vestiti e dai nostri oggetti che qui saranno custoditi; li potremo intravedere, come da una finestra, dalla superficie in vetro. Realizzata nel 1981 da Michele de Lucchi per Memphis...
Metal
Amazon Cabinet, by Marco Zanini for Memphis Milano Collection
By Marco Zanini, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Amazon Cabinet in reconstituted veneer and lacquered wood, was originally designed in 1985 by Marco Zanini for Memphis Milano. Marco Zanini was born in Trento in 1954. He gradu...
Wood
Castilian Bookcase by Aldo Cibic for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Aldo Cibic
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Castilian bookcase in plastic Laminate by Aldo Cibic for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Bookcase in plastic laminate. ...
Plastic
Nosy Cabinet by Mimmo Paladino for Meta Memphis Milan
By Mimmo Paladino, Memphis Milano
Located in Ravenna, IT
Storage cabinet made by Mimmo Paladino for Meta Memphis, limited edition of 25 pieces. The central body consists of a double door cabinet, which can be opened by curved steel element...
Iron
Kampa bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
The product in question is marked as 1stsample and is sold with a certificate of authenticity. Kampa is a three-element bookcase with table created by Ettore Sottsass as part of the ...
Steel
Carlton 30th Anniversary Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
Carlton is the most famous and iconic of all the objects designed for Memphis Milano. The piece was designed by Ettore Sottsass and first presented at the historic Memphis exhibition...
Laminate, Wood
Memphis “Phoenix” Bookcase By Michele De Lucchi, Milan, 1983
By Memphis Milano, Michele de Lucchi
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
The extraordinary “Phoenix” Bookcase, designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Michele de Lucchi, and produced by the influential Memphis Group in Milan in 1983. Known for...
Metal
Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
Malabar is a cabinet-bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano in 1982 and purchased in 2000. Production number 21. Sold with certificate of Authenticity. Featuring she...
Metal
Imperial Cabinet by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Shiro Kuramata
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Imperial cabinet with internal shelf by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis Milano collection Available in silver, black and aubergine. In stock th...
Hardwood
Lodge Bookcase in Wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano Collection
By Martine Bedin, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Lodge bookcase with four drawers in wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Bookcase with four drawers. Structure in in wood finished with pla...
Plastic
"Imperial" Cabinet by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis, Italy, 1980s
By Memphis Milano, Shiro Kuramata
Located in Milan, IT
"Imperial" cabinet by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis Milano. Iconic case piece with roller shutter and four thin legs.
Wood
Padma crystal display cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 2000.
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
Padma display cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Memphis in the 2000s. With a crystal frame and uprights, Parma belongs to the Long Furniture collection. Its aesthet...
Crystal, Brass
Wooden Roses Shelving #3 by H.J.Weinand for Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano
Located in Ravenna, IT
Wooden storage cabinet with casters, designed by H.J. Weinand for Memphis Milan in 1992... Intermediate shelves are connected by wooden bottle silhouettes in different warm colors. T...
Wood