Michelle Richter
The partnership of Mauro Lipparini and Michelle Richter first came together in 2000, while Richter was working with the Ferragamo/Giunti Editore/Pineider A.T.I. As Pineider Gallery's managing director, she was in charge of the design and production of major lines of high-end, art-inspired stationery and gift items for the museums of Florence, including the Galleria degli Uffizi, and Milan’s fabled La Scala opera house.
She retained Lipparini to design Pineider Gallery’s trade show booths, knowing that his distinctive style would enhance both the aesthetic impact and the prestige of her firm’s presentations. From this initial association, a remarkable creative and romantic relationship bloomed. Richter, a former professional cellist trained at the Milan Conservatory and a summa cum laude graduate of Amherst College, brought a fresh, entrepreneurial energy to Studio Lipparini. Having won the Young & Design award in 1987 and the International Du Pont Award Köln twice, in 1988 and 1989, Lipparini was already highly regarded for his minimalist aesthetic, and Richter’s business acumen further magnified his firm’s scope.
Since 2002, Richter has been the full-time managing director of Studio Lipparini, devoting herself to ensuring that Lipparini’s talents find appropriate outlets that also offer exciting new creative opportunities. Under her guidance, the business has grown exponentially in Asia, with the company garnering multiple projects in China, Japan, and Azerbaijan, as well as around Europe. The symbiosis of Richter’s and Lipparini’s talents—now reflected in the domestic realm, as well, with the couple’s marriage—has propelled Studio Lipparini to the leading status it enjoys today.