Stilnovo Nastro Desk Lamp 

Materials: Rectangular angular black plastic base. Cast iron counterweight inside. Transformer 220 volt/ 12 volt inside. Adjustable “Fly curtain” style plastic ribbon rod. Inside reinforced with metal. Black plastic elongated angular lampshade. Aluminium reflector. Porcelain halogen socket.

Height: 55 cm / 21.65” – adjustable

Lampshade: 21 x 6,8 cm / 8.26 x 2.67”

Ribbon: 62 x 6 cm / 24.40 x 2.36”

Base: 14 x 14 cm / 5.51 x 5.51”

Electricity: 1 bulb G5 halogen, 1 x 50 watt maximum, 12 volt.
Any type of G5 lamp can be used. Not a specific one preferred.
The transformer has two circuits: 12 and 6 volt. The button can switch between both voltages: the bulb can burn at half force. When used at 110 volts, it is recommended to buy a 6 volt halogen lamp.

Period: 1980s.

Designers: Alberto Fraser in 1984.

Manufacturer: Stilnovo, Milan, Italy.

Other versions: The Stilnovo Nastro desk lamp exists also in blue. Since 1985 a clamp desk lamp was also in production.

Nastro is the Italian word for ribbon. It refers to the flexible pliable arm that looks like a fly curtain. Some sources say that this lamp was designed in 1982.

Alberto Fraser

Alberto Fraser was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. Fraser is the son of an Italian mother and a Scottish father. He studied both Architecture and Industrial Design in the Rhode Island School of Design (1977-1984). The subject of lighting has always been a feature in his professional career. For over twenty years he has lived in Milan where he works for companies in different sectors with a strong propensity for technological innovation.

His company was named “Design Works“, today (2018) named FraserDesign. He runs it together with his daughter Patricia. Alberto Fraser is the author of the project Ribbon for Lumen Center Italia. The Ribbon LED lamps are made in the same way as the Nastro; with a ribbon. They were in production since 2007 for several years.

Stilnovo

Founded in Milan in 1946 by Bruno Gatta, Stilnovo was one of the most important lighting company’s of Italy in the post World War II industry.
Stilnovo worked with a large number of leading designers, including Gaetano Sciolari, Joe Colombo, Gae Aulenti, Alberto Fraser, Ettore Sottsass, Danilo & Corrado Aroldi. Cini Boeri, Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi, Antonio Macchi Cassia, Roberto Beretta and so on. The company ended business in 1988.

All Stilnovo lamps are marked with the Stilnovo name; many early pieces also include the original sticker “Stilnovo Milan”.

The new Stilnovo

The company is long gone but in 2017 “The Stilnovo Scientific Committee” was formed. The members are: Decio G.R. Carugati, Roberto Fiorato, Francesco Morace, Danilo Premoli, Franco Pagliarini and Andrea Cucci. The company is named: Stilnovo Italia Srl.

Text from the new Stilnovo website:

“In order to pick up the traces of Stilnovo and bring them into the future a Scientific Committee was formed. The team has already produced a Manifest with its definition of guidelines and necessary criteria for future creations. With indications for ideas about the identity of a brand name which does not ignore its historical past: on the contrary, it is exalted.

The recreation of important iconic pieces and the use of new stimuli of Italian and international design in order to create completely new pieces represent just some of the plans for Stilnovo, which in themselves will bring new stimuli and lively collaboration among craftsmen and planners in order to guarantee as always 100% Made in Italy products.”

VLM Components

All the electric parts are made by VLM Components. The company was founded in 1945 in Buccinasco, a small village near Milan, Italy. The company became famous for the switches they produce since 1968, designed by Achille Castiglioni. You can find them over here. VLM is part of the Relco Group, founded in 1967. Today they are the owners of the brands Relco, Leuci, Relco Lighting, VLM and Segno.