"The challenge is to accept that there are as many languages of the contemporary object as there are languages of the world." This quote from the history of luminaire manufacturer FLOS gives an idea of what has made the Italian company the internationally active brand it is today: its sense of movement in design and object art, its curiosity and enthusiasm for shapes, materials and unconventional approaches. This value is firmly anchored in the brand - and has been since it was founded in the 1960s. Even back then, managing director Sergio Gandini and his designers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni as well as Afra and Tobia Scarpa saw the young company as a think tank. The original idea was to create objects from a light bulb that could change people's way of life. For the quintet, creative imagination, form development, avant-garde and applied design approaches went hand in hand with the company's business plan. Many designs were already considered iconic when they were launched. Later, they demonstrated their eye for unknown talents, offering designers such as Philipp Starck, Jasper Morrison and Constantin Grcic the opportunity to work with them at a young age and the freedom to try things out. Together with them, the company continued to expand its wide range of iconic lighting designs. The technical sophistication of the luminaires, the high standards of quality of the materials and the production in the factory in northern Italy make FLOS a company that shapes the design industry. And to this day, the designs often straddle the line between avant-garde and sophisticated product.