Pia Guidetti Crippa is a laudable but lesser-known talent. The daughter of Carlo Antonio Crippa, who in 1944 opened a humble lighting workshop on the outskirts of Milan; she spent her childhood amongst the furnace as her father sculpted molten glass. After finishing high school in 1961, she was accepted to study at the prestigious Brera Academy of Fine Arts University. Here Pia Guidetti Crippa focussed her practice on scenography - creating costumes, lighting and soundscapes for the stage. It was this holistic design practice that attuned Pia Guidetti Crippa to the art of atmosphere - wherein the consolidation of materials and technology could construct a mood, a place or an environment.

After graduating in 1967, she returned to her fathers workshop and began applying her artistic abilities to domestic lighting. For Pia Guidetti Crippa lighting was not simply a practical necessity, but the creation of atmosphere through balance and form. Her lamps were quickly recognisable for their bulbous shapes that evenly distributed light, their scenic qualities, rounded lines and her innovative use of brass, iron, and aluminium. It was at this time she garnered the attention of major Milanese design manufacturer Lumi, with her first floor lamp the P428 being an instant success. During this time, she continued to design lamps at her Fathers workshop, which soon began practicing under the design name LUMI. With Pia Guidetti Crippa at the helm, LUMI created some of the most well known lighting of the 1970s - collaborating with designers such as Carlo Nason, Oscar Torlasko and Rodolfo Bonetto. For thirty years Pia Guidetti Crippa led LUMI with skilled craftsmanship and innovation, and since then LUMI has been included heralded as a mainstay of Italian design. In 2010 the catalogue, “The Companies of Italian Design: 1950-2000” by Giuliana Gramigna, LUMI was included in the 127 famous names that represent “Made in Italy”.

Sadly, Pia Guidetti' Crippa’s presence in the Italian design movement has been consistently under acknowledged. Despite her innovation and business success at LUMI, relatively little is known about her artistic vision or philosophy. Unfortunately, this is not rare for the time period - wherein women were relegated to a secondary role within the design world. Nevertheless, her influence and legacy continues today, particularly her use of handcrafted materials and commitment to craftsmanship.