VITRA pop-up at kapok
from switzerland to hong kong, kapok welcomes the arrival of vitra in the upcoming holiday season. we are bringing an assortment of home accessories to our fans, as you might stay in town and decorate your home during this festive period and welcome a better year to come.
who is Vitra?
Vitra is a Swiss family company with over 80 years of history. At Vitra they believe that thoughts and feelings are shaped by our surroundings – whether at home, at work or on the go. that is why they strive daily to improve interiors through the power of good design.
Vitra founder Willi Fehlbaum first came across creations by Ray and Charles Eames in the early 1950s. this decisive moment marked Vitra’s beginnings as a design company. Vitra has collaborated with international designers and architects ever since. while the first generation laid the company’s commercial foundations, and the second added a cultural dimension through the development of the Vitra Campus and the Vitra Design Museum with its collection, the third generation puts the spotlight on sustainable thinking and action.
by combining technical and conceptual expertise with the creativity of contemporary designers, Vitra continues to push boundaries and question the status quo. Vitra’s origins as a design company lie in the chance discovery of a chair by Charles and Ray Eames in a New York window display. the spirit of innovation expressed by the couple’s creations represents a movement – modern design – and continues today to be the driving force behind the development, production and sale of furniture and accessories for people across the globe, for living, working and public use.
elephants by Eames
the elephant that Charles and Ray Eames initially developed out of plywood in 1945 is available in plastic – as a toy or decorative object in a variety of colours, and not just for children's rooms. after a limited edition in 2007, Vitra has now added a plywood version of the legendary Eames Elephant to its standard portfolio. the sculptural decorative figure with a high-quality face veneer in American cherry has been available since 2017. several years ago, the Eames Elephant was also launched in plastic, making it available to the target group for which it was originally intended: children. and a smaller version – with an identical design but reduced in scale – likewise comes in plastic in a choice of colours.
whether selected as an elegant wooden object for the living room, as a robust plastic toy for a child's bedroom or outdoor use, or as a small decorative animal figure – the friendly animal with its proudly prominent ears will bring delight to children and parents alike.
Charles and Ray Eames (above) are counted among the most important figures of twentieth-century design. their work spans the fields of furniture design, filmmaking, photography and exhibition design. Vitra is the sole authorised manufacturer of Eames products for Europe and the Middle East. When you own an Eames product made by Vitra, you know it is an original.
Eames radio
designer: Charles & Ray Eames, 1946
in collaboration with the Eames Office, Vitra is now launching a compact radio designed by Charles and Ray in 1946, though never produced at the time. the Eames Radio today bears witness to the designer couple’s unwavering belief in progress. the Eames Radio is available in a limited edition of 999 units.
after developing a successful method for moulding plywood in the early 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames employed the acquired know-how to create a wide range of products – including radio cabinets. by 1952, roughly 200,000 radios with cabinets designed by the Eameses had been sold by various manufacturers.
Charles and Ray sent photographs of the prototype to the magazine 'Interiors'; matchbooks were included in the pictures as a scale reference. their aim was to increase the acceptance of smaller, more modern devices. however, this goal proved elusive, and the production of Eames radios was discontinued in the early 1950s.
More than 70 years later, Vitra has joined the Eames Office to revive the design of this compact radio, which was a favourite of Charles and Ray. encased in an elegant walnut cabinet and equipped with up-to-date technology by the British manufacturer REVO, the Eames Radio today bears witness to the designer couple's unwavering belief in progress. The Eames Radio is available in a limited edition of 999 units.
l'Oiseau by Bouroullec brothers
motifs drawn from nature have played an important role in interior furnishings since the earliest examples, and natural forms and structures have also been a recurring theme in the work of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
l'Oiseau, an avian figure of archaic simplicity, is reminiscent of the unpretentious artefacts of Nordic folk art. Its sleek form attractively enriches contemporary interiors without the cuteness or even tackiness so commonly associated with animal figures. l'Oiseau is available as a wooden bird made of milled maple and sanded to a smooth finish, or as a ceramic figure in a choice of colours. considerable craftsmanship goes into the fabrication of each piece, making it a unique object with individual characteristics. the brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec live and work in Paris. Their oeuvre ranges from small everyday objects to architectural projects. they have worked with Vitra since 2008 and have contributed numerous designs to both the office and home collections.
the brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec live and work in Paris. their oeuvre ranges from small everyday objects to architectural projects. they have worked with Vitra since 2008 and have contributed numerous designs to both the office and home collections.
clock selection
Vitra Today
following in the tradition and spirit of Charles and Ray Eames, the sustainability of design is central to all activities at Vitra. the family-run company believes in the power of designs that forgo stylistic trends and eliminate superfluous details. the longevity of Vitra products is the combined result of their design, function and quality.
Vitra products are designed and developed in Switzerland. the products are manufactured in Germany and other European countries with EU-sourced components, using materials that are strictly tested for quality and longevity. invest in an original, for it will always retain its worth. an imitation will never be anything but a copy, a stolen idea. appreciate the differences – not just the quality and more obvious variances but also the sensory and emotional appeal of the authentic product. an original is a lifelong companion and may well outlive you to be gratefully received by the next generation.
when a Vitra object arrives in a home, an office or a public space, it already comes with a long story. one of a designer who, in collaboration with Vitra, starts a seemingly endless development process, filled with trials and errors. one of a manufacturing attitude where the details are not the details, but what makes the quality of your new piece. and you take this tale forward enriching it with the stories of your own space.
