Giancarlo Piretti was born in Bologna in 1940. After studying fine arts at the academy in Bologna, he started working as interior designer for Anonima Castelli, designing products both for home and office use, as well as for the community. In 1969 he conceived Plia, one of the company's all-time landmarks, an iconic example of “made in Italy” design. Over the years, he was awarded the “Compasso d’Oro Adi” twice: for the Vertebra Seating System - designed together with Emilio Ambasz - and for the Piretti Collection, launched in 1988.