STYLE ICON: EAMES LOUNGE CHAIR from VITRA
DESIGNERS: CHARLES & RAY EAMES
YEAR OF DESIGN: 1956
Surely the most-imitated furniture icon of all, the Eames Lounge Chair from Vitra is arguably the ultimate design classic. Based on a prototype exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art’s ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’ competition in 1940, this, the No.670, was the Eames’ most constructionally complex chair, and their first foray into the high-end luxury market. The husband-and-wife team originally created their masterpiece as a birthday gift for the movie director Billy Wilder. It went on to retail in 1957 with a price-tag of $634.
With its laminated wooden shells, sumptuous leather-covered cushions and, at its best, accompanied by the footstool, the Lounge Chair is an unmistakable combination of traditional and modern. It is the trademark of the designers who were responsible for some of the most important examples of 20th century furniture.
Moreover, to sit back in an Eames Lounge Chair, is to experience the immediate luxury of true comfort.
There are several variations on the theme, with a choice of swivel base (chrome or black with aluminium detail), veneer (cherry, rosewood or black cherry) and leather (chocolate brown or black), reflecting the designers’ love of materials and technical ingenuity.
However, never be tempted by a cheap ‘Eames-inspired’ imitation. With its generous proportions and quality craftsmanship, only an authentic Eames Lounge Chair exudes the luxe factor.
