Cesare Colombo (better known as Joe) was born in Milan in 1930. He attended the Brera Academy and Milan Polytechnic School of Architecture. He worked in number of jobs before opening his own design studio in 1963. A tall inveterate pipe smoker, he was never a slave to idealogical bounds but embodied many of the utopian values of the 60s.

From his studio Colombo worked primarily on architectural commissions – including ski lodges and mountain hotels – as well as product design. His furniture designs were characterised by optimistically bold and round forms. He was remarkably prolific during his single decade as a designer some of his most notable projects include the 1963 Elder Armchair and 1970 Bobby trolley.