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Go to shop11 October 2024
Beginning with archival research, Vitra presents the limited edition Eames Fiberglass Side Chair La Fonda, featuring exclusive cushions designed by Alexander Girard.
It is 1948, the Second World War has ended, and the world is preparing for a new political, social, economic but also architectural era. Authentic homes are designed, furnishings are starting to be more democratic by focusing on function and, above all, large-scale production, at affordable prices, intended for the masses.
The competition launched that year by the Museum of Modern Art in New York entitled ‘International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design’ fits into this scenario. The concept is direct and clear: furnishings must cost little and to achieve this result, production must be agile. It may seem contradictory, but it was precisely in this competition that some of the icons of 20th century design were born, one of which was the Fiberglass Chair by Charles and Ray Eames, now produced by Vitra.
The two designers entered the MOMA competition with the first version of the chair, made of metal: the innovation consisted in the fact that the shell was modeled on the shape of the body to accommodate it better. The innovative scope of the project earned the Eames second place but to put the chair into production there was another path to take since the metal shell was difficult and too expensive. The two designers embarked on a new challenge: finding the right material, which would allow them to produce chairs on a large scale and at controlled costs.
They found inspiration by doing research in the military industry where fiberglass was used to make some aircraft components. A malleable, rigid material suitable for large-scale industrial production, never used until then for the construction of furniture and yet perfect for this chair. The Eames introduced a further creative element: the possibility of choosing between different bases with an equally innovative design. The combination was perfect, and it was the birth of an icon.
In those years, Charles and Ray Eames established a relationship of friendship and mutual respect with the architect and interior designer Alexander Girard. There was comparison and mutual influence and starting from these dynamics, Vitra undertook a path of archive research to reach a meeting point between the Eames and Girard.
The result was a limited edition of the Fiberglass chair with La Fonda base, characterized by cushions covered in fabric designed by Girard. The color combinations between the structure, shell and cushion, with the characteristic striped pattern, make the difference. The base can be dark gray or red, the shell in ochre or orange and the cushion with black and gray or orange and red stripes. And just like in the first versions of the chair, the shell is slightly transparent. The special edition of the Fiberglass chair La Fonda is limited to 250 pieces for each color, numbered on a special metal label.
