How did the Miss Sissi Lamp become so successful?

The Miss Sissi Lamp designed for Flos is one of the most iconic lamp to ever been produced during the 90’s . This injection molded polycarbonate lamp became a successful product which signified a bold change in the art movement.

Flos, a successful lighting design company, founded in the 1960’s had always “ applied a strategy aimed at leaving durable marks of their inventiveness”  and the Miss Sissi lamp was no exception to that rule.   Their products may “have come across as offbeat at first,’ but became the “evergreens” of  products.

The 80’s and early 90’s was a movement of post modernism, where the excesses of design were very popular. Being a time of great affluence and consumerism, the Miss Sissi, by design was a simplistic lamp in contrast of the era. This plastic lamp became the change and was a success.

A simple design by Philippe Starke, an up and coming interior designer in the 90’s; only1000 pieces of the lamp were commissioned to be manufactured. A business move by Flo’s Pierdo Gandini. As he was “dubious” about the new ”look”, during that “excessive”period.As the product was produced and marketed, The Sissi Lamp proved to be a successful business decision; 8000 lamps were sold in 10 days and within a year 100,000 lamps were sold.

The iconic new lamp changed the face of design in that era. One of the most successful lamps of Flos. It helped lead a change in the movement of design and influenced consumers world wide.

Synonymous with chic, cool the Sissi Lamp by Stark today is being reinvented to be produced in eco-friendly bio-plastic (PHA’s) a waste of sugar beet and cane production as the pressure for designers to maintain an ecological balance. And again, the Sissi Lamp once in production will be the icon of simplicity and this time ecological success of our current art movement.

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