From Subalpina to Girmi:

An History of Italian Innovations

Abstract

“Events that resulted from a number of forward-thinking industrialists meeting with our most highly qualified designers” (Crachi, 2001, pg. 65). Meetings that Frateili defines as ‘elite’.
This is the story, covering the period from 1920 to 1980, of how an intuition evolved into an important manufacturing company. It began as part of an economic district (a local network of manufacturers) as the Cooperativa La Subalpina, and was transformed by the foresight of its founder to become the Girmi firm. The company thrived during the economic boom in the domestic appliances sector and in the following decades continued to work closely with designers, albeit less frequently. However, the meeting with Luca Meda in the 1980s greatly influenced the fortunes of the firm: innovative products took shape and corporate communication improved. In the same way that he had successfully worked with Molteni, Meda once again defined a company’s identity using the tools and approach of a designer.