In fine form

THE firmament of 21st-century top-tier industrial designers is one dominated firmly by men. It's a fact that's simply impossible to quibble with. Yes, every year at Salone del Mobile in Milan or Maison & Objet in Paris, there are female breakout stars who take one's breath away with the ingenuity and sheer audacity of their designs, but the number who manage to break through and convert their designs into actual production and eventual brand recognition is minuscule.

All the more reason to admire and applaud the singular achievement of Patricia Urquiola. In terms of consistency and fearlessness, she more than deserves her place in the pantheon of world-class designers.

And the fact that the 53-year-old Spanish-born, Milan-based designer has never played the gender card is all the more telling. Her presence at the table has been achieved through a combination of trailblazing talent, luck, instinct and a great deal…