Raf Simons reworks a Chair that Matters for Design Miami
The Calvin Klein designer is showing his version of the I Feltri Chair at the design fair's Basel event
“The I Feltri Chair, made of thick wool felt, resembles a modern-day shaman’s throne,” we argue in our book, Chair: 500 Designs that Matter. “The base is soaked in polyester resin, the top is soft and malleable, enfolding the sitter like a regal cloak.”
Now, Raf Simons, Chief Creative Officer at Calvin Klein, has reworked Gaetano Pesce’s I Feltri chair and its accompanying cloak, by upholstering this new version of the 1987 classic with one-of-a-kind vintage American quilts.
Calvin Klein is exhibiting this new version of the I Feltri at the Basel offshoot of Design Miami/, timed to coincide with the Art Basel fair. The brand’s debut installation at the design fair draws on Simons’ love of Americana, and includes an old, weathered barn, plastered with vintage Warhol images – including Andy’s Electric Chair – a prop we last saw during Calvin Klein’s New York shows, which drew on the combined talents of Alexandre de Betak and Sterling Ruby. The chairs may look cosy, but the mise-en-scène is a little less comforting.
For more on the I Feltri Chair, and many other important pieces of furniture, order a copy of Chair: 500 Designs that Matter here.