1981- 88

Design Timeline - Memphis - Milan
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Memphis was the name of a collection of furniture, fabric and ceramics designers who gathered around Ettore Sottsass at the 1981 Milan Furniture Fair and caused a sensation in the international media. In fact, the group had grown out of Studio Alchymia, another Milanese avant-garde group. They disagreed with the conformist approach at the time and challenged the idea that products had to follow conventional shapes, colours, textures and patterns. They even tried calling it the 'new International Style'. It was a reaction against the minimalist, colourless , so called 'good design' approach of the 70s. They offered Colourful, Bright and almost shocking pieces. The group came to be seen as people who tried to energize the Radical Design movement, rather than being frivolous with design. It is believed that they drew inspiration from the 'Art Deco' and 'Pop Art' movements. Sottsass once said, 'Memphis is not new, Memphis is everywhere'. They also drew references from industrial materials, 50s revivalism, ancient art and pop-music.

Ettore Sottsass was in his 60s when he met with a group of young designers in their 20 (Architect, Designers, Writer). They discussed his plans of creating a path-breaking furniture line with a friend who owned a furniture workshop. In Sottsass's apartment, they played some music. In fact the music was Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again". Apparently the record would get stuck at "Memphis Blues Again". Later they ended up calling themselves the Memphis Group. They dismantled the group in 1988, perhaps, because they themselves saw the style as a fad (Fad as in fashion, quickly comes to an end).