Born in Ferrara in 1951, he studied architecture in Florence and founded the "Gruppe Cavart" in Padua while still a student, propagateing radical designing. He taught industrial design at the University of Florence during the mid-1970s and became one of Ettore Sotsass' closest friends.
De Lucchi's sense of colour and playful forms is especially expressed in his designs for everyday items as well as in his furniture designs such as the Kristall sideboard he designed for Memphis in 1981 which recalls a four-legged animal. He is a versatile designer who creates objects that impress with their faultless elegance, straight-forwardness and meticulous manufacturing. As example is the well-known table lamp Ptolemeo, which was awarded with the Compasso d'Oro.