Blue Velvet Simone Sofas by Dino Gavina for Studio Simon, 1971, Set of 2

Dino Gavina (1922-2007) rare pair of blue velvet ''Simone'' sofas for Studio Simon 1971. Black lacquered high gloss wooden frame and blue velvet upholstery. Striking pair of sofas with a black lacquered high gloss wooden frame and the original shiny blue velvet upholstery. A great design by Dino Gavina and Maria Simoncini for his newly founded company Simon International / Studio Simon in 1971. To find a pair of these striking sofas in original velvet upholstery is a rare event. Although these 3-seater sofas are quite large and big, they appear light and airy due to the floating and clear lines and the reflecting effect of the lacquered wood. As a result, they become part of the environment. The original upholstery is this great blue and shiny velvet, which was used on a wider scale by Gavina, for example on the famous Cornaro sofa by Carlo Scarpa. Please note the upholstery is one piece - all the parts are connected to each other. Beneath the blue upholstery is a small ''Simon'' branded mattress. Please note that the shell is lacquered completely , also on the inside. Real quality. A very innovative and interesting design, which is now fifty years old. Dino Gavina The importance of Dino Gavina in Italian Post War design can not easily be overstated. He really was a key figure in the Italian design world of the fifties, sixties and seventies. Not only did he start his own company Gavina S.P.A., he also was the founding father of the famous lighting companies FLOS and SIRRAH. When he started Gavina S.P.A. he had this modern vision about giving starting designers the possibilities to experiment and learn. He was a personal friend of many important artists like Lucio Fontana and Man Ray. He was the driving force behind the careers of Tobia Scarpa, Vico Magistretti, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. When his company ran into financial difficulties in 1968, he sold it to Knoll, who was very interested in his special portfolio, including the famous Bastiano sofa by Tobia and Afra Scarpa and the world-famous designs (Cesca and Wassily) by Marcel Breuer. Immediately afterwards he started a new company together with Maria Simoncini: Studio Simon or Simon International. A few years later he started the specialist avant garde company Paradisoterrestre to market designs by famous artists like Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, Giacomo Balla and Kazuhide Takahama.