A forthcoming exhibition at the Museum für Gestaltung features the work of the often overlooked Lora Lamm, the first lady of Swiss design who enjoyed huge success in Milan in the 1950s and 60s.
Despite being one of a number of Swiss designers who emigrated to Italy after the Second World War, Lora Lamm remains relatively unknown compared to her fellow Swiss emigrés such as Walter Ballmer, Carlo Vivarelli and Max Huber. Zurich's Museum für Gestaltung sets out to change that this summer, with a new exhibition of Lamm's exuberant work for clients such as Pirelli and department store La Rinascente, for whom she worked extensively in the 1950s and 60s.
Lamm studied at the Kunstgewerberschule, Zurich and moved to Milan in 1953, originally working for Studio Boggeri before joining La Rinascente in 1954, where Huber later joined her. As the store began to market specifically to women customers, Lamm was enlisted as a consultant to create campaigns for everything from hot water bottles to scooters. She went on to forge a successful career as an art director, eventually returning to Zurich in 1963.
While Lamm might not be as high profile as some of her male counterparts, this exhibition might just kickstart a new generation of designers to discover her playful and accomplished work for themselves.
Lora Lamm – La Vita è Bella
24 June to 16 August 2015
Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich
museum-gestaltung.ch
