Swiss architects and designers Trix and Robert Haussmann founded the Allgemeine Entwurfsanstalt in Zürich in 1967. Drawing on Robert’s studies with Gerrit Rietveld, Willy Guhl and Johannes Itten, the duo developed a distinctly provocative approach—rejecting the restraint of Bauhaus modernism in favor of theatrical forms influenced by the Memphis Group, popular culture and 16th-century Mannerism.

Established by Nan Swid and Addie Powell in 1982, Swid Powell invited the era’s most celebrated architects—including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Richard Meier and Robert Venturi—to reimagine everyday objects. The resulting housewares transformed bold architectural ideas into functional works of art, many of which are now considered icons of Postmodern design.