Memphis Design Group

A design collaborative formed by Ettore Stottsass in the 1980's, comprised of Italian designers and architects. 

The name apparently originates from this Bob Dylan Song, which was being played on repeat throughout their first meeting. 

Their main creative influences were the Art Deco and Pop art movements, and their main aim was to reinvigorate the radical design movement by contesting the contemporary concept of 'good design'. 

They met again in the February of 1981, by which time the members had produced 100+ drawings.  September the same year the group exhibited a range of clocks, lighting, furniture and ceramics, intentionally using materials that lacked culture, such as coloured laminates, at the Arc 74 Showroom, Milan. To an audience of internationally famous architects and designers.

They also released a book; "Memphis, the new international style". 

The group had always fully intended to be a fad, and in 1988 Stottsass disbanded the group, having left himself in 1985. 

Members included; 

Alessandro Mendini, Martine Bedin, Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Shiro Kuramata, Matteo Thun, Javier Mariscal, Luciano Paccagnella, George Sowden and Marco Zanini

Century chaise by Andrea Branzi '82