Foscarini, founded in Venice in the 1980s by Alessandro Vecchiato and Carlo Urbinati, was born in the very heart of Murano glassmaking, embodying its expert craftsmanship and passion for glassworking. This historical heritage represents the solid foundation on which Foscarini builds its approach to lighting design, as well as the springboard from which the company departs, embarking in 1993 on an increasingly extensive exploration of materials.

The first product to emerge from this research was the Havana lamp by Joseph Fokas, soon followed by Tom Dixon’s Lightweight collection, a modern reinterpretation of traditional glass chandeliers. From that point on, Foscarini accelerated its innovation process, going on to create lamps using more than 20 different materials.

Over the years, the company has continued its process of experimentation, exploring new forms and expressive possibilities and translating its aesthetic sensibility into a catalogue dominated by simple, colourful shapes, where design plays with materials to create unique pieces.

Many designers have contributed to shaping this narrative, particularly Rodolfo Dordoni with his Lumiere (1990), Buds (2016) and Chapeaux (2023) collections, whose lines reflect a fluid design concept characterised by gentle surfaces.

Ferruccio Laviani has also successfully interpreted Foscarini’s style over the years, creating works such as Orbital (1992), Supernova (2000) and Tuareg (2014). Thanks to these and many other designers, the Foscarini catalogue includes highly contemporary chandeliers, table lamps, pendant lamps and floor lamps, featuring iconic pieces such as Patricia Urquiola’s Caboche, the Aplomb by the Lucidi Pevere studio and Marc Sadler’s imposing Twiggy.

Among the pendant lamps, the Spokes model by the Friulian studio García Cumini and the Rituals family by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba have achieved great success. Foscarini’s inclination towards creative cross-pollination has also led the company to collaborate with the world of fashion, giving rise to prestigious partnerships that have resulted in the creation of truly unique designs over the years.

Collaboration with designers from all over the world has always been a defining feature of Foscarini’s history. Closely associated with the brand are names such as Marc Sadler, known for the iconic Twiggy, whose Mite and Tite lamps won the Compasso d’Oro in 2001; the Catalan design studio Lievore Altherr Molina, creators of the Anisha lamp; and other renowned names such as Tom Dixon, Nendo and Karim Rashid.

In 2021, Foscarini acquired Ingo Maurer, establishing a strong artistic collaboration with the company.