Gabriella Crespi

Gabriella Crespi (1922-2017) was a prolific Milanese designer best known for her sculpturally abstract furniture of the 1960s and ‘70s. All she created was imbued with her personal elegance. The daughter of a haute couture jewelry designer and mechanical engineer, Crespi was equally devoted to beauty and functionality. Her designs transform objects by altering function while cultivating simplicity. The purity of Crespi’s creations is a manifestation of her own temperament. Beneath the glamour of her life - enjoying a creative relationship with Maison Dior and regularly visiting with the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy - Crespi was an intensely spiritual person. At the center of her life and work is a dedication to nature, reflected in her references to Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Despite her overwhelming success, at the age of 65 Crespi abandoned her life as a designer in pursuit of a spiritual calling to the Himalayas, where she resided for nearly twenty years. Crespi eventually returned to Italy, releasing only limited editions of her work. When asked what her greatest pleasure in life was, she answered, “to start anew from zero”.