Born in 1940, Antonia Astori is an architect, designer and entrepreneur whose name is inextricably linked to the Driade brand. She attended the Ecole d'Architecture Athenaeum in Lausanne, obtaining her degree in 1966 in visual and industrial design. In 1968, her architect brother, Enrico, took over a company in Fossadello di Caorso (Piacenza) specialising in upholstered furniture. With a plan to create a new design-oriented business, Enrico decided to involve his wife, Adelaide Acerbi, and sister, Antonia. The trio shared a strong passion for furniture and a desire to anticipate and incorporate the latest trends. This was the birth of Driade, one of the most iconic and celebrated companies on the Italian scene, to which Antonia Astori made a fundamental contribution.
Her design approach is both poetic and rigorous. Her interest in modular systems resulted in the famous Oikos system, a modular bookcase that went into production in 1972. She was always on the lookout for a flexible and functional way of subdividing space, so as a result, she conceived the Kaos, Oikos II, Panton and Chef systems, a modular kitchen. With their precise geometric shapes and understated elegance, the systems designed by Antonia Astori for living rooms, bedrooms and even offices contributed to making Driade a clear leader on the international design scene. Collaboration with Enzo Mari gave birth to the Bric system (1977) of modular furniture in assembly kits. In the 1980s, she was influenced by Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis movement, manifested in the post-modern Aforismi collection of bookcases, tables and desks.
In addition to her work as a designer, Antonia is also an interior architect. She designed the company's Piacenza headquarters, as well as shops and installations, including La villa dalle Colonne Blu at the 1980 Salone del Mobile; Omaggio a Mies at the 1983 Salone del Mobile; La casa del collezionista at the Driade headquarters in 1999; and the Driade booth and DriadeStore at the Salone del Mobile 2000. In 2004, with her children Matteo, Francesca and Nicola De Ponti, she founded Astori De Ponti studio, which works on product design, installations, communications and interior architecture.
Antonia Astori non only designs furniture but also furnishing accessories and complements. The White Snow and Anatolia porcelain collections, Maud and Mildred rugs, and the No frame mirror were all created for Driade. In 2006, the Elements and Plug&Play radiators for Tubes were designed by Antonia Astori and Nicola De Ponti and selected for the 2008ADI Design Index. For Oluce, again with Nicola De Ponti, she created the Plateau lamp, chosen for the 2010 ADI Design Index.
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