We say that the French have a certain "joie de vivre," but Italians have something else more difficult to label. Italian culture couples a love of beauty with an ability to laugh at itself. The designs of Milan-born architect Alessandro Mendini embrace this attitude with their color and humor -- thou

Decorative, Funny, Ironic, Pop/surrealism/anti-design, Repetition

By rights, Todd Oldham should have been a fashion failure. He is exceptionally polite and sunny in an industry that punishes good manners and good cheer. He is openly critical of the fashion machine. Worst of all, he finds fashion funny, and fashion is an entity not known for its sense of humor. None

Bright, Collage, Couture, Decorative, Funny, Playful, Vibrant color

Arguably the finest architect and designer to hail from the banks of the Clyde, Scotland's Charles Rennie Mackintosh is known worldwide. His unique style combined straight geometrical lines with the sinuous curves of Art Nouveau and the organic symbolism of the English Arts and Crafts movement. A for

Art nouveau furniture, Arts & crafts furniture, Decorative, Eclectic, Elegant, Geometric, Organic, Surface

MAYA: Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable. Raymond Loewy summarized his design philosophies with this motto. Loewy was a charismatic and flamboyant man whose persona supported the rise of his very successful design empire. The hand of Raymond Loewy can be seen throughout the country in the Greyhound bus lo

Corporate, Decorative, Epic, Industrial, Post-war american design