Designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by C&B (now B&B Italia) in 1969, Serie UP is a seating range which has become one of the most famous Italian design symbols since its inception, and one of the world’s most famous industrial design products.
Among all the most famous is the UP5, an armchair with anatomical features and unmistakable anthropomorphic references. It has the shape of a large maternal womb and recalls the votive statues of prehistoric fertility goddesses (and for this reason it is also known as "Donna" or "Mama"). With the UP6 additional element, the sphere acts as an ottoman which is ineluctably linked to the armchair’s body – a “captive woman” metaphor.
Initially, each seat was sold vacuum-packed by removing the inside air and returned to its original shape when the package was opened. Since 2000, the collection has returned to production with new materials. For its 50th anniversary, it is presented in a special edition with beige and petrol green lines – part of the original 1969 colour chart.