Why The Ultrafragola Mirror is Now Everywhere

The audacious mirror that’s enjoyed far more than 15 minutes of fame.

Amid the sea of 1970s furniture crafted from timber, a neon-lit plastic-framed mirror was always going to rock the boat. “Have you ever seen anything more ridiculous?” asked Austrian-born architect Ettore Sottsass Jr of his vivacious 1970 design. “Please give me a match,” responded one critic.

Half a century later, it’s Ultrafragola’s price that’s raising eyebrows, whether you pay about $14,000 for a made-to-order model thermoformed around the original aluminium mould or splash out up to $30,000 for a vintage edition. The true Ultrafragola – Italian for “ultimate strawberry” – has only ever been issued in white with pink LED or neon light by the Italian manufacturer, Poltronova. Sottsass was art director of the Tuscan furniture company when he created the light-up mirror. Having been absorbed by post-war materiality, technology and pop culture while working in the New York City office of industrial designer George Nelson, he cultivated a spirit of experimentation. A cherry-red Valentine portable typewriter Sottsass designed for Olivetti is regarded as a 20thcentury design icon.

Recently dubbed “the antiques of the future” by American re-seller Keith Johnson, the Ultrafragola – reminiscent of long hair or the female form – stands at nearly two metres tall and has always been a gallery darling. Its recent appearance in fashionable boutiques and celebrity homes (Frank Ocean, Lena Dunham and Bella Hadid) has captivated the selfie generation and Poltronova is doing brisk business.

Sottsass died in 2007 but his unique aesthetic is very much alive today as 1980s style takes another twirl. Australian interior designer David Flack, a selfdescribed “huge fan of the Memphis Milano movement”, owns an Ultrafragola and says its allure will endure long after the Insta crowd find its next target. “It has confidence, defiance, exuberance and strength.