Post-war Italy created special conditions for modern furniture design. At the start of the 20th century, the country already had a modern and progressive industry using innovative technologies and materials. At the same time, furniture production was largely dominated by small and medium-sized artisan businesses that, through a great love of experimentation and designers such as Gino Sarfatti, Gio Ponti, the Castiglioni brothers, Vico Magistretti, Joe Colombo and Ettore Sottsass, began to utilise industrial innovations for furniture production. Designs of understated elegance, technical sophistication and optimistic charisma were developed that were critical of rigid functionalism and were a commentary and catalyst on social upheaval. On that basis, the Italian furniture industry was formed. Of global importance still today, it is led by companies such as B&B, Cassina, Driade, Kartell, Moroso, Tecno and Zanotta.
