Vladimir Kagan Erica Chaise Lounge Chair in Mohair

About the Item

The Erica Chaise was first designed in 1969 and named after Vladimir Kagan’s wife, beloved needlework maven Erica Wilson. Redesigned with the clean lines and classic feel of the prototype that Kagan kept in his own home, the chaise effortlessly cradles the back and supports the head with its sculpted upholstery. The lucite base give the chair the illusion it is floating off the ground. This vintage piece has been restored and upholstered in Holly Hunt 100% Mohair. This chair is the perfect chair to lounge in and read the paper or a good book. This chair is effortlessly elegant, and epitomizes Kagan's best work. Dimensions: 57L x 24 w x 35 H Seat Height 17.5H Vladimir Kagan pioneered the enduring voice of midcentury modern design. A designer of not simply furniture but what he called “vessels to hold the human body,” “Kagan represents the ultimate in modern American furniture design,” Holly Hunt said. Kagan’s independent designs earned him decades of accolades and the avant-garde aesthetic. Kagan sought to develop furniture that could enhance human interactions, leading to innovations such as the first curved sofa, which he designed to enhance conversation and social experience. Kagan’s designs radiate his vitality and passion for discovery. Born in Worms, Germany in 1927, he emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 11, just before the dawn of WWII. After graduating from the High School of Industrial Arts, Vladimir studied Architecture at Columbia University before joining his father, a master cabinetmaker, to support the family business and learn the foundations of the trade. From his father’s repeated admonishment “Ehre das Handwerk!” (“Honor the handcraft!”), Vladimir inherited an appreciation of artisan skill which, combined with his innovative design sensibility, was key to his success. After a prolific career spanning nearly 70 years, Kagan never lost his love for his work. He passed away in April 2016.

Creator:

Vladimir Kagan (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 57 in (144.78 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Acrylic,Mohair

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

1960-1969

Date of Manufacture:

Circa 1960's

Condition:

Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

San Diego, CA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU6417238881032

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Shop All Vladimir Kagan

Vladimir Kagan

The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.

Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.

Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”

A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.