Pendant lamp NINOTCHKA

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NINOTCHKA is a genuine and easily recognizable design icon, designed by Bent Karlby in 1954. When giving shape to this lamp, Bent Karlby had taken note of an eye-catching hat, worn by the Swedish Hollywood star Greta Garbo in her 1939 film, Ninotchka. The organic body with its asymmetric drapes ensures functional direct downlight and diffused ambient uplight. 1954 Origin story When giving shape to this lamp, Bent Karlby had taken note of an eye-catching hat, worn by the Swedish Hollywood star Greta Garbo in her 1939 film, Ninotchka. Art, fashion, and popular culture have a long tradition of inspiring each other, and this is yet another great example. Explore images of vintage NINOTCHKA pendants and get to know the stories behind LYFA, our collection and designers at The Archive Designed by Bent Karlby Bent Karlby is widely regarded today as one of Denmark’s most productive and versatile lighting designers of the 20th century. He started his collaboration with LYFA in the 1940s, which was a partnership that would last nearly four decades. Bent Karlby is known for his soft light, organic shapes and hallmark peepholes. During his career, Karlby moved more towards pure geometric shapes such as the cone, cylinder and arc along with playful colours as seen with the NINOTCHKA series. Lightscape The open-top design principle ensures diffused upward lighting while the downlight is even and direct, which makes for a functional as well as ambient lighting experience. The organic body and asymmetric drapes are reinforced by the contrasting white inside, allowing for a varied play with light and shadow depending on the viewer’s position.