Ettore Sottsass

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Ettore Sottsass (14. September 1917-) is an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. He founded the Memphis Group.

Originally an architect, Sottsass became a consulting designer for typewriter manufacturer Olivetti.

Ettore Sottsass is one of the leading members of the ‘Memphis’ group founded in 1981 with Barbara Radice as public relations/art director. The group’s main aim was to bring back radical deigns and did so through toasters that the whole group designed together. The products that were made by the ‘Memphis’ group always had bright colours, bold patterns and made of plastic laminate surfaces. Sottsass and Memphis were out to make a statement and to break down the barriers between high class and low class. To some, this concept would take a life time to happen but to others it offered freedom.

The Austrian born designer, Ettore Sottsass was described as ‘a forward looking designer.’ He began his career by studying architecture at Turin Polytechnic. He was a student there for 4 years and proved his talent as he wrote articles on art and interior design with his fellow student Luigi Spazzanpan.

On leaving College, Sottsass joined the Italian army for 3 years. After finishing his army duties, he worked for a group of architects and before long set up his own Milan based office in 1947, which he called ‘The Studio.’

Sottsass eventually teamed up with Olivetti as a design consultant and worked with him for over twenty years. While working with Olivetti, Sottsass made many new and different things. He designed a pop-influenced “totem”, a Valentine typewriter, Elea 9003 calculator etc.