Italian architect and designer Gianfranco Frattini was one of the defining figures of post-war Italian design. Born in Padua in 1926, he graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1953 and began his career working in the studio of Gio Ponti, whom he regarded as a mentor, before establishing his own practice in Milan. He was also among the founders of ADI — the Association for Industrial Design — in 1956.

Frattini worked across architecture, interiors, furniture and lighting, but craftsmanship—particularly woodworking—remained central to his practice. His designs combine rigorous construction with warmth and an exceptional understanding of materials. For Trove, his most important contemporary connection is Tacchini, which continues to reissue a growing collection of his historic designs.