The Italian lighting manufacturer Stilnovo was founded by Bruno Gatta in 1946 in Lainate, an industrial suburb of Milan. In the aftermath of World War II, while Italy was focused on rebuilding its economy, which had been left in dire condition, Gatta and Stilnovo dedicated themselves to producing innovative lighting elements capable of incorporating rationalism and the principles of functionalist design. In the postwar period, designer Gaetano Sciolari was hired by the company, and as Italy recovered, Stilnovo became synonymous with a prestigious and fashionable brand, popular for both public and private spaces.

In the mid-1960s, Bruno’s son, Dino Gatta, decided to invite some of the best designers of the time to develop new products; Stilnovo thus became a true incubator of innovative design ideas and a laboratory for experimenting with materials. Massimo Anselmi, an artistic director in the world of fashion design and contemporary art, acquired Stilnovo in 2012, launching new editions of Stilnovo’s iconic designs at the Milan Furniture Fair the following year.