Colli, Pier Luigi

Pier Luigi Colli (1895 – 1968) was an Italian designer. He studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and returned to Italy in the 1920s to lead the Colli family furniture business in Turin. The company started in 1850 and was famous for its fine carpets, fabrics and lighting, often with Seguso glass. Their designs played a part in the development of the Liberty movement of the early 20th century. Pier Luigi, with his knowledge of French Art Deco design, imported items like Jean Perzel lamps. The elegance of this movement strongly influenced his designs. Apart from using Pier Luigi’s designs, the company also worked with architects and designers like Gio Ponti and Carlo Mollino. They worked on furnishing projects like the great hall of the University of Turin and the Turin branch of the Bank of Italy. After Pier Luigi`s death in 1968, the company was run by his daughter Claudia until it closed in the 1980s.