Herman Miller and HAY have released a fresh new collaboration that brings a contemporary take on the classic Eames collection.

The collection celebrates the design talent of the past, combining the classics with the modern, bringing together longtime Eames fans, Rolf and Mette Hay, and the designs that inspired them.

Zeeland, Mich: Herman Miller, in collaboration with Danish design brand HAY, today unveiled the Herman Miller x HAY Collection — a 21st-century reinterpretation of eight beloved Eames mid-century classics. Featuring new, inspired colour palettes and updated materials, the collection is a powerful combination of original, timeless design with a contemporary point of view. It also serves as a full-circle moment for HAY founders Rolf and Mette Hay — lifelong admirers of modern design, Herman Miller, and the Eameses. 

READ MORE: The Iconic Eames House Turns 70

“Herman Miller is built on a legacy of risk-taking and creative collaboration,” says Ben Watson, President, of Herman Miller. “With this collection, HAY thoughtfully reimagines Eames classics in a forward-thinking, first-of-its-kind collaboration. A unique vision of colour, the evolution of thoughtful materials, and a beautifully interconnected story of design partnership harnesses the enduring spirit of Herman Miller.”  

In anticipation of HAY’s 20th anniversary in 2022, Herman Miller approached Rolf and Mette with a flexible provocation: What could the two design brands do together that they could not create alone? The answer: a fresh take on the original colour palette and material ingenuity of the Eames furniture collection made by Herman Miller to deliver a group of pieces that are both obviously Eamesian — and uniquely HAY.

Driven by curiosity and play, Rolf and Mette’s philosophy, as well as their intimate design partnership, this new collection also aligns with their biggest influences, Charles and Ray Eames, whose unique synergy led to iconic status in modern design. Mette cites the Eameses’ playful, yet rigorous approach to design as the model for her and her husband Rolf’s own process. “They were very experimental in taking advantage of new technologies, “says Rolf Hay. “And they were having fun.” Like their predecessors, the Hays have always been motivated by the certainty that good design is for everyone — a founding principle behind HAY the brand.”

“Since the inception of HAY, our goal has been to provide our customers with access to works by the best designers in the world — designers who understand that if you want to create high-quality industrial design for the many, then you need to find smart ways of producing,” adds Rolf Hay. For that element, he points to Herman Miller’s track record of innovative manufacturing and precision engineering: “If you look at a product like the Aeron Chair, there’s only one company that could develop a chair with such complexity — and that’s Herman Miller. It takes a strong passion for design and a pioneering legacy in production.” 

HAY consulted the Herman Miller archives for references that could help modernise the company’s approach to colour without recreating it directly. “Being very familiar with the existing colour range, I intended to focus on looking ahead, instead of looking too far back,” says Mette Hay. Her research was further informed by delving into Eames ephemera catalogued by MillerKnoll archivist Amy Auscherman; one-off furniture prototypes listed on auction sites and in museum catalogues; and out-of-production textiles by Alexander Girard, archived at textile brand Maharam’s New York studio. 

The Eameses had worked closely with Alexander Girard, who was the founding director of the textiles division at Herman Miller and became their close personal friend and frequent collaborator. Girard’s innovation within the textile realm — in which he employed bold and unusual colour combinations as well as subtle, understated, and textural palettes — offered the Eameses a wide array of options when considering how to further enhance their genre-defying mid-century furniture.

Rolf points to history’s many designers, “who are great in terms of giving form to industrial design but are lacking in [development of] colour and texture. That was not the case with Charles and Ray Eames — they had a fantastic sensibility, and working with Alexander Girard was inspiring for both of them, as working with his textiles has been for us.” 

Mette’s vision of colour in this collection pays homage to Ray Eames’s artistic eye and Girard’s world of boundary-pushing colours. The collection includes seven spirited colourways meant for endless interplay and combination, including colours like Toffee, Iron Red, and Powder Yellow. Complementing the main colour palette is a special edition of the Eames Sofa Compact upholstered in a circa-1955 colourway of Girard’s Jacob’s Coat textile, which Maharam has faithfully reissued for the collaboration at Mette’s request. u

The collection’s innovative material palette was expanded elsewhere in the collection, including with the Eames Hang-It-All, which sports cast-glass balls in place of the original painted wood, representing a new play on colour, tactility, and utility. The Eames Wire Base Low Table and Universal Base Round Table, now with cast-glass tops, bring artistic craft and dimension to any space. As part of MillerKnoll’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact, the Molded Plastic Shell Chairs, both with and without arms, contain 100% post-industrial recycled plastic available in the HAY-designed six-colour palette; and the Eames Wire Chairs are powder-coated for outdoor use with optional cushions upholstered in tone-on-tone outdoor fabric. Hay’s reimagining of the iconic Eames Molded Plywood Chair, now in an emerald green colourway ubiquitous to HAY’s additional best-selling collections, is a personal favourite product of Mette and Rolf’s; in fact, one of the original Eames prototypes currently resides in the Hays’ living room in Denmark. 

The collection is available in North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. For more information, visit store.hermanmiller.com.

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From bright murals and bronze and silver dog sculptures to designer chairs and intricate cardboard art, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 313.

1. Elian Chali Murals

Argentinian artist Elian Chali transforms regular buildings around the globe into large-scale works of art using bright colours in an abstract way.

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Images via @elianchali on Instagram and elianelian.com.ar

2. Ferdi B Dick’s Bronze Dogs

Cape Town-based 3D animator and sculptor Ferdi B Dick’s latest pieces feature cartoon-like dogs cast in bronze and silver. They will be on exhibition at the Everard Read Gallery in Cape Town until 10 January 2020.

Images courtesy of ferdibdick.com

3. Herman Miller Cosm Chair

TIME Magazine has named Herman Miller’s sophisticated and ergonomically-designed Cosm Chair, created by Studio7.5, as one of the best inventions of 2019. The chair is available locally through All Office.

Image courtesy of Herman Miller

4. Greg Olijnyk’s Cardboard Sculptures

In his spare time, graphic designer Greg Olijnyk creates sci-fi-inspired cardboard sculptures with moveable parts and working motors. Some of his work even features solar panels and sections with LED lights and glass accessories.

Images via thisiscolossal.com

5. Beadwork by Myrlande Constant

Haitian beadwork artist Myrlande Constant makes intricate flags from thousands of tiny glass beads, a skill she learned from her mother. She was recently commissioned to create a piece for the Faena Hotel in Miami, her largest work to date.

Images via thisiscolossal.com

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 313 on picks of the week 90.

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From an electric car made of 80% recycled plastic and a paper travel bag to cat furniture that encourages play and a new sneaker collab, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 281.

Catastrophic Creations’ Cat Playgrounds

Headed up by Megan Hanneman and Mike Wilson, Catastrophic Creations designs fun and functional cat furniture, including wall-mounted systems that aim to encourage your feline friends to play and stay active. A cat’s paradise!

Images via etsy.com

Wren Design’s Paper Travel Bag

Local design studio Wren’s Paper Travel Bag, one of the brand’s most successful products to date, is made from cement paper fused to thick cotton canvas, creating a durable design that’s ideal for anyone on the go. The bags are also sprayed with a water-resistant nano liquid glass. Apart from the natural paper option, Wren also offers three striking designs illustrated by Nigerian-Italian illustrator and textile designer Diana Ejaita.

Images via thewrendesign.com

Herman Miller’s Cosm Chair

Cosm, designed by Berlin-based studio 7.5, is office furniture brand Herman Miller’s first task chair with an automatic tilt and suspension armrest. The automatic tilt function adjusts to whomever is sitting in the chair, making it an ideal option for co-working spaces. The chair also features an industry first with its Leaf Arms, designed to cradle the elbow and provide maximum comfort. Cosm is now available in SA, through All Office.

Images courtesy of Herman Miller

Mandalaki Studio’s Birò O2 car

In collaboration with car company Estrima, Italian studio Mandalaki has designed an electric car that’s made from 80% recycled plastic, which the studio says is higher than any other car on the market. The model, whose top speed is 65km/h, is set to become available to the public in June 2019.

Images via dezeen.com

PUMA x Sophie Webster

British footwear and accessories designer Sophie Webster has teamed up with PUMA to create a colourful sneaker range inspired by dance, ‘80s workout gear and colour-blocking. The range drops in SA on 11 May 2019 at PUMA Select stores, Madaiza and Superbalist.com.

Images courtesy of PUMA

Browse more like VISI Picks of the week series – week 281 on picks of the week.

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Indulge in iconic international designs and South African art at this exciting new gallery.

Launched on 31 July 2014, together with the reopening of Graham’s Fine Art Gallery, the new Cube Gallery premises in The Gallery at 68 on Hobart Road in Bryanston is sophisticated, spacious and tastefully peppered with gorgeous contemporary art and furniture. 

Currently, Cube Gallery is the official retailer of well-known brands Artek, Herman Miller, Belux, Armani Dada, Gio Ponti by Molteni and Paola Lenti, as well as the official retail partner for Vitra’s South African Home and Home Office divisions.

Keep an eye out for their exciting international artist features at cubegallery.co.za.

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