Vico Magistretti (1921 - 2006) was born in Milan, Italy.  After spending part of World War II in Switzerland, Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945 and received his degree in architecture from the Politecnico di Milan.  In addition to architecture, Magistretti is much-celebrated for his furniture and lighting designs for a number of manufacturers including Acerbis, Artemide, Campeggi, Cassina, dePadova, Flou, Kartell, and Oluce.  Magistretti's designs have been included in numerous exhibitions and are included in the permanent collections of museums worldwide.  He has been the recipient of several prestigious design awards including Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale in the 1950s as well as two Compasso d'Oro awards in 1967 and 1979 respectively.