fukasawa awa table

Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa (b. 1956) graduated from Tama Art University in 1980 and quickly began working as a designer for the Seiko-Epson corporation. He came to the United States in 1989 and started working for the then upstart ID Two company, which employed only 15 people at the time. In 1996, he helped to set up their Tokyo office and served as its head while they became known as IDEO. Fukasawa remained with the company until 2003 when he established his own company, Naoto Fukasawa Design. To focus on household appliances and sundries, he created the ±0 brand, but was also becoming well known around the same time for products such as MUJI’s CD player (which is in MoMA’s permanent collection), mobile phones “Infobar” and “Neon,” as well as new works with Italian companies B&B Italia, Driade, Magis, Artemide, Danese, and Boffi.

Founded in 1966 as the result of the entrepreneurial farsightedness of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B Italia is a leading italian company in the international scene of design furnishings for both home (B&B Italia home division) and contract purposes (B&B Italia contract division). Based in the north of Milan, the firm’s prestigious headquarters were designed by R. Piano and R. Rogers in 1972. Its products have contributed to writing the history of italian design, the adventurous history of the success of taste, technologies and creativity that have made italy famous throughout the world and distributed the “made in italy” brand on international markets. the collection of B&B Italia furnishings issues from the skill to represent contemporary culture and to promptly respond to the evolution of living habits and requirements. Modern furnishing elements that are strongly distinctive and characterised by exceptional quality and timeless elegance are the result of the unique union of creativity, innovation and industrial know-how. By distinguishing itself on the international scene for innovation, quality, design and prestige, both in the sector of home furnishings through the two brands b&b italia and maxalto, and in the contract sector, b&b italia has joined the altagamma foundation that converges italian companies of international repute, which operate in the upscale range of the market and express italian culture and style in corporate and product management.Architects and designers from around the world such as Scarpa, Zanuso, Fish, Citterio and Nava, but also Patricia Urquiola, Zaha Hadid and Fukasawa have inspired the worldof design with their creations for this Italian company leader in the sector of design, at an international level, both domestic and collective.