Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby studied architecture together at the Royal College of Art in London and established Barber Osgerby in 1996. They have designed an array of different products and styles in the last decade for companies such as ClassiCon, Magis, Vitra and Knoll International. They designed the award-winning Olympic Torch for London2012 and received received the OBE in June 2013.

Flos was founded in 1962 in Merano, to produce modern lighting. To develop new lighting concepts, they enlisted the aid of Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Tobia Scarpa. One of the first materials they experimented with was cocoon, a very pliable material made in the USA. In 1964 Sergio Gandini joined the company, and the headquarters were moved to a new site near Brescia. The first Flos retail store, designed by the Castiglioni brothers opened in Milan in 1968. In 1971 Flos opened its first subsidiary in Germany. In 1974 it purchased Arteluce, a historical brand founded in 1939 by Gino Sarfatti, and opened a new factory in Bovezzo, just outside the city of Brescia. The collaboration with Achille Castiglioni continued through the '80s, and in 1992 he introduced the "family of products" concept to the market with the Brera series. At the same time, Flos continued to scout for emerging talent at an international level, collaborating with Philippe Starck in 1988.