1905-1975 (Italy) Carlo Mollino was a true Avant Garde eccentric, whose many disparate interests all, at some point, found their way into his truly unique style of sculptural, adaptable furniture. Starting out as an artist, Mollino became obsessed, in equal measure, with everything from architecture to race cars, furniture to the occult, and made it his lifelong mission to shock, surprise and delight with everything he produced, or as he himself put it: “Everything is permissible as long as it is fantastic.” His furniture style was characterised by its varied use of materials, blend of curves and straight lines, along with its ability to be changed and altered at the whim of the user. Seminal Mollino designs such as the Cavour Desk allowed the user to adjust the height of the piece to fit their needs, while still cutting a dramatic, flamboyant silhouette that demands attention. As a result, his designs proved to be some of the most sought-after in the world, with one of his pieces setting a world-record price at Christie’s New York in 2005, when it sold for almost $4million. “Everything is permissible as long as it is fantastic.”