Founded in 1966 by Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B Italia stands out for its representation of contemporary culture and for its research and innovation, which has allowed the brand to create products with unique style and elegance.
The fruitful partnership between the company’s Research & Development Centre, a workshop for ideas and excellence, and the best international design professionals enabled the creation of iconic products which radically mark the history of design: Serie Up, Le Bambole, Charles and Camaleonda are just some of the products originated from the creative union between B&B Italia and the most prestigious design names including Antonio Citterio, Piero Lissoni, Mario Bellini, Gaetano Pesce, Naoto Fukasawa, Patricia Urquiola, Barber & Osgerby, Jeffrey Bernett, Michael Anastassiades, Monica Armani, Vincent Van Duysen, Foster+Partners, Gabriel Tan, Kensaku Oshiro and many others.
B&B Italia has been honoured numerous awards in its history including the five-time win of the most coveted award in Italian industrial design – the “Compasso d’Oro.

Since its launch in 1969, the Up series has stood as one of design's boldest fusions of art and function—soft, sculptural forms wrapped in elastic fabric that blur the line between furniture and expression. The collection grew out of B&B Italia's pioneering work in polyurethane injection moulding, a technology that opened up entirely new possibilities for shape and comfort.
The standout piece is the UP5_6, instantly recognizable for its rounded, body-like silhouette—an abstract nod to the female form and, by extension, to ancient fertility figures. Paired with it is a spherical ottoman, tethered to the chair like a ball and chain. Designer Gaetano Pesce explained the symbolism directly: the piece was his way of commenting on women's condition, embodying the idea that women have long been confined by invisible constraints—hence the imagery of a prisoner bound at the foot. A scaled-down junior version, faithful to the original in every detail, makes the design accessible to children from age three. Rounding out the collection is the UP7 "Foot," an oversized sculptural form in painted polyurethane that reads like a fossil unearthed from a modern civilization.
In 2022, the Up series earned Gaetano Pesce the XXVII Compasso d'Oro ADI Career Award, cementing its place as a design icon.