Mario Barbaglia was born in Milan in 1950 and studied Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan, where he was a pupil of Paolo Portoghesi. In 1975, he opened a studio with Marco Colombo - another designer that he remained associated with until 1999 - who initially dedicated himself to the development of interior design projects for commercial spaces. In 1984, the studio began a collaboration with PAF, which later became Italiana Luce, and then eventually Nemo Cassina.
Among the numerous prizes and acknowledgments garnered by Barbaglia and Colombo’s work, the Dove table lamp earning a spot in the permanent collections of Cooper-Hawitt Museums in New York and in the Museo Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City stands out as one of the duo’s most significant accomplishments.
In 1987 and 1992, Barbaglia and Colombo also received the Oscar of Interior Architects from the International Lighting Exhibition in Paris.