Female designers we should be talking about more, and why
In fields dominated by men, changing the rules often means rewriting them from scratch. For decades, women in design didn’t just face the challenge of expressing a creative vision, they had to fight for their ideas to be seen, heard, and taken seriously. Many were excluded from professional networks, left out of museum collections, or credited only after their male colleagues. And yet, a number of women didn’t just make it, they reshaped the industry from the inside out.
Take something as familiar as an Italian sofa: what looks like a comfortable piece of furniture in your living room was, in many cases, reimagined by a woman designer who believed homes should reflect real life, not just aesthetic ideals.
These women challenged the old rules of function, space, and “good taste,” and replaced them with something more human, inclusive, and intelligent. Their designs weren’t only about furniture; they were about people, relationships, and a different way of living.
Charlotte Perriand: Saying no to the status quo
When Charlotte Perriand applied to work for architect Le Corbusier in 1927, he rejected her with the words: “We don’t embroider cushions here.” She was 24. A few years later, she was designing entire interiors for his projects.
Her strength? Not backing down. Perriand believed in social design: furniture and spaces that were accessible, democratic, and meant for daily life. While others designed for show, she designed for people. And she did it while refusing to give up her identity as a woman in a male-dominated field.
Cini Boeri: Designing for real life
Architect and designer Cini Boeri made furniture you could actually live in. She wasn’t interested in perfection; she was interested in flexibility, comfort, and intelligence. Her sofas weren’t stiff objects to admire, but soft, modular systems that adapted to your life, not the other way around.
Her mindset? “Design isn’t about decoration. It’s about solving problems.” And that’s exactly what she did: creating memorable designs while raising three sons as a widow, running her own studio, and paving the way for other women in Italian architecture.
Eileen Gray: Ahead of her (or our?) time
Eileen Gray was a pioneer, though the world took far too long to admit it. She designed one of the first truly modern homes, E-1027, in 1929. But for decades, her work was forgotten. Why? Because she wasn’t part of the male design establishment.
Gray didn’t chase trends or fame; she focused on the craft. Her quiet determination, her attention to comfort, and her refusal to follow rules made her a design icon… long before the world was ready to recognize her.
Gae Aulenti: The architect who thought big
At a time when few women even worked in architecture, Gae Aulenti was designing museums. Not exhibits, but literally buildings. She turned an abandoned train station into the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, a now-famous cultural landmark.
Aulenti stood out not just because she was a woman, but because she thought bigger and fought harder. “Being a woman is no excuse,” she said. “You must work twice as hard, and make it twice as good.” Her bold, theatrical designs proved that women could lead large-scale projects with vision and authority.
Studiopepe: Building a career on intuition and strategy
And now? Today, Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto, founders of Studiopepe, show what it looks like to build a creative business on your own terms. With backgrounds in philosophy and design, they mix research, intuition, and emotion in their work, and they’ve built a global following doing it.
Their studio is 100% female-led, and they’ve redefined what it means to be creative leaders in an industry that still has its gatekeepers. Their strength? Staying true to their voice and growing a business that reflects their values.
Carlotta de Bevilacqua: Innovation and leadership
As president and CEO of lighting giant Artemide, Carlotta de Bevilacqua isn’t just designing, she’s leading. A trained architect, she’s also an innovator, pushing for sustainability, circular design, and new ways of thinking about light and well-being.
What makes her stand out? She combines technical know-how with a strong ethical vision, proof that you can run a major company without sacrificing values. Her leadership is proof that women can (and should) lead at the highest levels of design and industry.
More than design: lessons in vision, strength, and change
What connects these women isn’t just talent. It’s resilience, clarity of purpose, and the refusal to accept the limits others tried to impose on them. Some were erased from history. Some had to work in the margins.
Some started their own firms just to be heard. However, all of them believed in their work and made space for others to believe in it as well. They didn’t just design furniture. They redesigned power structures. And their impact? It’s in the way we furnish our homes, build our workplaces, and rethink what leadership looks like, with strength, empathy, and vision.
