Michele de Lucchi was one of the cofounders of the Milano Design Group Memphis, which emerged at the end of 1980 around the central figure of Ettore Sottsass.
 
The group’s very first exhibition unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm. Since then, the shrill, sensual and playful designs produced by Memphis have exploded all-over the world of design.
 
The prevalent criterion for design was no longer the ability to solve technical problems, but rather to enhance an object’s capacity for communication. It was necessary to confront the multiplicity of Postmodern styles in order to capture the Zeitgeist in a fast-paced, experimental design idiom.
 
“First” by Michele de Lucchi was one of the few designs intended for the broad public and quickly became a bestseller. The back and armrest construction is a true eyecatcher. It consists of a steel tube, bent to form a circle, which supports a flexible backrest comprising a round wooden disk on rubber bearings and two wooden spheres as armrests.
 
The tube is welded to the front legs of the simple stool, which forms the seat frame, almost completely engulfing the sitter. Although the construction is extremely stabile, the reduced elements radiate a strong impression of lightness. The restrained use of decorative elements gives “First” an almost classic air among the Memphis objects, making it suitable for furnishing conventional interiors.