Honoring Italians’ iconic imagery

IT’S raining Italian designers. At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, they’re celebrating Ettore Sottsass, deviser of everything from typewriters to jewelry, with an exhibition through June 11. And at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the man of the hour is Sergio Pininfarina, the designer behind Ferrari and this year’s Olympic torch.

Pininfarina will make a rare Western foray to deliver a speech and receive a lifetime achievement award here May 2. The designer, 83, who was named an Italian senator for life last year, followed his father into the auto field more than 50 years ago. Though he is best known for his firm’s work not only for Ferrari but on various models from Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Jaguar, Cadillac and Volvo, the family business (which now includes his son Paolo) has also done mobile phones for Motorola, bathtubs for Jacuzzi and espresso machines for Lavazza.

Pininfarina’s free lecture (reservations required), “My Life, Not Only Design,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 2 at the Italian Cultural Institute, 1023 Hilgard Ave. in Los Angeles, (310) 443-3250.

-- Christopher Reynolds