Enzo Mari was born in 1932 in Novara, Italy. Mari graduated with a degree in art from the Accadmia di Belle Arte di Brera, Milan. He participated in many debates on design and became a chief ideologue of the industry. He believed that designers should participate in debates and develop their own theories on design rather than just expressing other peoples' theories of design.
Functionality was seen to be an essential element of design and Enzo Mari strove to make pieces at affordable prices. All in all, he created roughly 1400 pieces of furniture, book covers, household articles and wall tiles. They were known for being poetic, beautiful, and sensual.
Some of his more famous designs, the light, stackable Delfina chair, and the practical Day-Night sofa bed were made for Driade and Zanotta. Later he became the chief designer for Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur in Berlin were he reinterpreted the traditional values of porcelain- individuality of design, lasting value and fine quality of the material- in the context of modern design.