Stefano Giovannoni was born in La Spezia, Italy, in 1954. He studied architecture at the University of Florence until 1978 and, straight after graduating, took on various teaching posts and design studies.
In 1985, Giovannoni and Guido Venturini founded Studio King-Kong to explore architecture and the design of household objects, interiors and fashion. From 1989, they jointly designed the successful Girotondo accessories collection for Alessi.
In the 1990s, Stefano Giovannoni also created numerous well-known products on his own for renowned companies such as Flos, Magis, Seiko, Pulsar, Cappellini, Kankyo and Saab.
Rather than angular contours and cool austerity, Giovannoni's work is defined by deliberately humorous, playful designs. But it would be wrong to reduce his creations to "fun design", as he always combines his characteristic unconventional approach with innovative functionality. A prime example is his highly successful Bombo bar stool, designed for Magis in 1997.
Stefano Giovannoni's distinctive designs have been shown in numerous international exhibitions, and some are part of the permanent collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris in France.