
Free Eco-Leather Upgrade & 6 For 5 on Vitra’s Most Iconic Dining Chairs
What does it mean to design for longevity? Once upon a time it was a question of taste, of opting for clean lines and classic finishes — the simple over the superfluous. Today, it’s more complex. Brands have to consider how current production processes will stack up in a future that demands ever greater eco-credentials. And rightly so.
One design house at the forefront of such investigations is Swiss brand, Vitra. Throughout 2020, they’ve been busy organising virtual summits to help orientate designers in a world post-COVID. Their R&D department has also made significant advances in the area of sustainability, fleshing out new ecological processes for some of their most iconic designs. In today’s blog, we’ll give you the lowdown on their new eco-leather as well as everything you need to know about the exciting 6 for 5 promotion on classic dining chairs.
New Eco-Friendly Olive Tanned Leather
When Charles and Ray Eames first designed their eponymous Lounge Chair in 1956, they had a clear idea of how the seat should feel: warm and soft, “like a well-used baseball glove”. This sense of softness was key to its success — underwriting the stylish silhouette with a cosy appeal.
Increasingly mindful of today’s contexts, Vitra launched an investigation to see whether they could create the supremely soft leather seat in a more a sustainable fashion. They headed down to Crete, where olive trees braid the jagged coastline in neat cornrows.
The answer lay with a vegetable-based syrup, extracted from the leaves of olive trees. Gentle on the skin and pleasantly aromatic, olive leaf extract has long been used as a tanning agent by communities in the Mediterranean. It’s use in leather furniture ensures a product that is 100% organic and biodegradable, while capturing several tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that would have been produced through burning the leaves (considered a waste product of the traditional olive harvest).
Vitra have since introduced the olive-tanned leather across the entire Eames Lounge Collection as well as Antonio Citterio‘s contemporary Repos and Grand Repos chairs. Available in a wide range of hues, Chaplins will be offering design lovers the chance to buy either of the three chairs in the new eco-leather for the price of the standard Premium Leather until the 31st January 2021. Think of it as one of the many small switches you can make to support sustainable practices this season.
6 For 5 on Classic Vitra Chairs
With the festive season approaching, Vitra have also made sure you can make room for one more at the table with a special 6 for 5 offer on their most popular dining chairs. Mix and match across genres and styles or keep things classic with an all-Eames set up. We’ve included a round-up of all eligible chairs at the end of this post.
Softshell Chair
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