Affetti e oggetti

"I believe that you can grow attached to objects", Achille Castiglioni used to say, and in this book his son Carlo and his granddaughter Livia tell the story of the great designer's life from the dual perspective of his affections and his objects.

The intimate, family-oriented point of view takes turns with a new take on Achille's designs, explored in their socio-cultural and anthropological significance. The designer and father, the studio and the home, design thinking and family stories: a duplicity that reveals that unmistakable "Castiglioni style" which, by mixing irony, curiosity, playfulness and experimentation, has produced icons of Italian design such as the Parentesi and Arco lamps, the Mezzadro and Sella chairs, the Dry coffee spoon and many others.

From the symbiotic work in the studio with his brother Pier Giacomo to the artistic legacy of his father Giannino; from the incredible car journeys to the equally eventful family lunches; from new projects to true Castiglione passions, such as fireworks and cats: everything finds a place in this unusual biography, complete with images and archive documents. And it all serves to tell the story of Achille and the extraordinary effect his work has had and continues to have on people: designs and objects capable of genuinely coming into contact with their users, arousing emotions and inspiring new attitudes.