Ok fam, furniture history time!
Today I bought my last purchase before a yearlong self-ban on purchases (lol) and it was the coveted and super difficult to find Gae Aulenti Quadrofoglio table lamp (most commonly found in white)

This is Gae Aulenti.
Born December 4, 1927, she was a pioneer for women in architecture and design.

When asked about being a woman in a male-dominated space she said "Women in architecture must not think of themselves as a minority, because the minute you do, you become paralyzed. It is important to never create the problem." (source/quote: Guardian)

Most known for her indomitable career in architecture, she enjoyed designing museums like the the Musee d'Orsay and it's station Gare d'Orsay (fig 1)
She even has an entire square in Milan dedicated to her, Piazza Gae Aulenti featuring some of her designs (fig 2)

She attended the Milan School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University, and graduated in 1954 as one of two women in a class of 20. It was a big ol' "F you" to her parents who wanted her to become a "nice society girl"

That defiance carried into her early career. She joined a design magazine that snuffed traditional design and instead called themselves “Neo Liberty” movement, a combo of traditional building practices with individualistic style.

This style is what afforded her a private practice and freelance career.
Both buildings and interiors alike, her more corporate clients included Fiat, Knoll, Olivetti, Louis Vuitton, and Artemide.

Aulenti told the Times "It's not possible to define a style in my work. If you're designing an airport, then airplanes are important. It's no more complicated designing a museum. I prefer museums for my personal passion — the art."

This is because she believed the life within the space was what defined the space. The function of the thing was the beauty of the design.
(CC all product designers here)

Through her work with places like Knoll and Artemide, she also designed furniture. And THIS is where we come back to the piece I bought today.

Her furniture design practices happened mostly in the 60's and 70's and as a result have a timeliness to them.
Particularly in her lighting design, there's a naturalism harking back to art nouveau.

Art nouveau, for those who are unfamiliar was a style of art in the late 19th to early 20th centuries that came just after the industrial revolution. After everything being so boxy, the tools now afforded a more natural aesthetic to ironwork. Resulting in things like this

This time period (riddled with psychedelics) later inspired the psychedelic design and aesthetic that came to define the 60's.
Amoprhic shapes, naturalistic patterning. These forms permeated all aspects of design, including Gae Aulenti's own "neo liberty" approach

Cue the "Pipistrello"
Now one of her more famous pieces, this oversized table lamp uses the amorphous shapes of art nouveau in its lampshade modernized with its material (plastic), and paired back with the traditional base

In the last couple years, this piece in particular has become so "in vogue" that the original manufacturer has re-released it at a smaller scale (to fit a more modern market).
Going prices for a vintage can range anywhere from $2400-3200 USD.

A more common piece found in many "modernist" vintage shops is the "Pileino."
Another demonstration of her "styleless" approach to design. This bauhaus lamp reflects both it's era in style and materials, as well as the understated approach of Gae's practice.

She died October 31, 2012 whereupon Milan named the Piazza Gae Aulenti after her in honor of her prolific career.
Today her work is extremely coveted. Despite her use of contemporary practices, her "styleless" / understated principles found throughout her work make them timeless.

Timeless and ultimately very trendy. Like this table she designed for Knoll that has made a comeback thanks to interior designers like Kelly Wearstler.

Anyway, that's the story of a badass woman architect and designer who often goes unknown or under the radar.
I'm a huge fan, and am very excited to own an original of this queen of design.
And as they say, we stan a queen.