Raffaella Mangiarotti

Raffaella Mangiarotti is an architect and designer from Milan. Graduated in architecture under Tomás Maldonado, she later completed a Ph.D. in design and is currently a researcher at the Politecnico di Milano. Belonging to what we define as the „post-masters“ generation, Mangiarotti clearly represents a distinctive figure in the panorama of Italian design for her approach always focused on essence rather than decoration. Function, aesthetics, ergonomics, but also empathy: these are the fundamental parameters of each of her projects.

Her professional identity is strongly influenced by the history of pioneering women in design, such as Eileen Grey and Charlotte Perriand: as a designer, she is constantly committed to a way of working that holds meaning for others, especially for the women who preceded her in the field of design.

She began her career with a significant collaboration with Marco Zanuso and Francesco Trabucco. Subsequently, she co-founded deepdesign with Matteo Bazzicalupo, dedicating herself to the design of innovative products for important companies, including Smeg. In 2010, the Triennale di Milano dedicated a monographic exhibition „The Sensitive Soul of Things“ to their work, curated by Cristina Morozzi.

After years of success in large-scale industrial design, always fascinated by furniture design, in 2011 she founded the Raffaella Mangiarotti studio, specializing in creative direction and furniture, collaborating with companies internationally.

Several of her products are exhibited in the permanent collections of international museums such as the MoMA in New York, the Triennale di Milano, and the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van Der Rohe; others have received recognition through prestigious international awards. She has won 43 international awards including Red Dot, IF Design Award, Good Design, European Design Award, and German Design Award.

She is a member of the jury of the IF Design Award, the Delta Award, Design Wanted, Young and Design, and the American Design Award. From 2017 to 2024, Mangiarotti served as Ambassador of Italian Design in the world.