​​Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara to a Venetian family. His career began shortly after earning his degree in architecture in Florence when he became an assistant in a design course under Adolfo Natalini, one of the pioneers of the radical architectural movement. Through Natalini, he was introduced to the early expressions of radical design through the Cavart group, established in Padua in 1973, known for organizing avant-garde artistic events within Venetian quarries.

Over time, Michele De Lucchi developed a strong vision for a new approach to design and architecture, creating products that resonated emotionally with people. In the early '80s, ​Ettore Sottsass, a founding member of the Memphis Design Movement, invited De Lucchi to join Memphis and encouraged him to start his own business. He simultaneously started working for various design practices such as CentroKappa and Alchimia. Sottsass played a pivotal role in integrating Michele De Lucchi into the Italian industrial environment, particularly at Olivetti, where he designed the Synthesis furniture and eventually ascended to the position of Design Director from 1992 to 2002. Along his career trajectory, De Lucchi formed crucial connections that facilitated collaborations with Compaq, Philips, Siemens, and Vitra, where he further refined his personal design vision.

Michele De Lucchi's most renowned creations for Memphis include the iconic ​First Chair, a visually striking piece with pastel hues crafted from circles, spheres, and other captivating shapes. Beyond his Memphis designs, De Lucchi earned international praise for his architectural projects, leaving his mark on notable projects such as NTT in Japan, Deutsche Bank in Germany, Novartis in Switzerland, and Enel, Olivetti, Piaggio, Poste Italiane, and Telecom Italia in Italy. His influence within corporate environments extended beyond aesthetics, fostering technical and visual innovations that reshaped corporate identities.