Two Modules of "Novemila" Modular Sofa Set by Tito Agnoli for Artflex, 1969

From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.

Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.

One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.

In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.

Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.

Prolific designer Tito Agnoli created imaginative furniture with a singular mix of natural and industrial materials. Designing in the modern and mid-century modern styles, he made sofas, armchairs and daybeds from leather, bamboo and rattan as well as metal table lamps and floor lamps.

Born into an Italian family in Peru in 1931, Agnoli studied at the Faculty of Architecture in Milan. In 1949, he graduated with a degree in architecture from Politecnico di Milano. While there, he became acquainted with designers Gio Ponti and Carlo De Carli. He later worked with them as an assistant, learning to create austere pieces with flawless dimensions.

Utilizing this knowledge, he developed his own practice and worked with many Italian producers, including Arflex, Cinova, Lema, Matteo Grassi, Molteni, Montina, Oluce, Pierantonio Bonacina, Poltrona Frau, Schiffini and Ycami.

Agnoli received prestigious nominations for the Compasso d’Oro award. At the 1986 NeoCon exhibition in Chicago, he won a gold medal. His works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

On 1stDibs, find a stunning collection of vintage Tito Agnoli seating, lighting, tables and more.