Brand Spotlight: Guzzini

by Billie Ann Woo

The Guzzini company started in 1912 and was manufacturing items created from ox horn. A later generation of Guzzinis evolved their craft to use Plexiglas as a material, which had previously been considered a military material. The company branched out into moulded acrylics in the 1960s and reached out to the best design minds to invigorate the aesthetic. The bicolour project in the 1980s was one of the products of these partnerships, as was the leap to gas-assisted injection in the 1990s. The Guzzini company has continued to research and develop different ways to use new and old materials which includes porcelain, glass, steel, and wood. Amazingly, the Guzzini company is still run by Guzzinis (and others, of course!) as they want to continue the family tradition. The number of items in the Guzzini catalogue numbers over 300 and can be found in over 85 countries. What started as a company to make simple goods has expanded into developing technologies with the intent to be “designed to be used”.