Flos was founded as a company dedicated to the production of designer lamps and lighting systems. Its story began with two major figures in the industry, Dino Gavina and Cesare Cassina, who in 1962 established a small artisan workshop specializing in lamp production. In this first workshop, located in Merano, the two collaborated with Arturo Eisenkeil, creating a number of designs that made use of a special polymer coating known as Cocoon, manufactured in the United States. Supporting this early entrepreneurial venture were already two leading names in contemporary design: Afra and Tobia Scarpa, and Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. These two renowned design duos created iconic lamps such as Taraxacum and Fantasma.

The success of this initial collaboration led the two founders to relocate the company to Bovezzo, near Brescia, in 1964, and to bring Sergio Gandini onto the Board of Directors—a figure destined to transform the company forever. It was with his arrival that Flos began to attract international attention. The lamps in its catalogue stood out for their distinctive style and personality, reflecting an aesthetic vision rooted in the Bauhaus movement, Industrial Design, Modernism and Geometric Rationalism.

This impression was no coincidence: the designers behind these creations were, in fact, the Scarpa and Castiglioni duos, whose work gave rise to icons such as the Biagio, Arco, Luminator, Parentesi, Snoopy and the timeless Taccia lamps. Their creations remain enduring symbols of 1970s design, timeless landmarks that helped define an era.

In 1974, Flos acquired Arteluce, along with many of the works by designer Gino Sarfatti, including the celebrated 2097 pendant lamp. This marked the beginning of a new period of creative energy, featuring designers such as Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Konstantin Grcic and many others.

The company continued to grow steadily, first under the leadership of Sergio Gandini and later his son Piero, expanding into architectural lighting through Flos Architectural, as well as into contract projects.

The acquisitions of Antares in 2005 and Ares in 2014 played a key role in this evolution, enabling Flos to progressively expand its manufacturing capabilities and expertise into new technologies and applications.

Flos Outdoor also emerged during these years as a natural extension of the brand’s vision of a complete, 360-degree approach to living. In this vision, lighting is no longer entrusted to different providers but conceived as a unified whole by a single brand, capable of shaping every aspect of the environment, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

The partnership with Investindustrial in 2014 and the establishment of Design Holding in 2018 positioned Flos at the heart of a multi-brand design group encompassing major industry names such as B&B Italia, Maxalto, Azucena, Arclinea and Louis Poulsen. The synergies created by this integration gave the company fresh momentum, strengthening its expansion into global markets and accelerating its progress towards digitalisation and innovation across all industrial processes.

Today, Flos remains firmly committed to its identity as a designer lighting manufacturer, renowned for its minimalist, contemporary aesthetic. Having anticipated design trends in the past, the brand continues to reinterpret and revitalise the language of contemporary style. Modernity and globalisation have broadened the company’s vision, opening up new markets and perspectives while extending its horizons into architecture, outdoor lighting and contract projects.