Clifton, New Jersey, USA
“I was able to look at some photographs and old drawings that we had to see how they were done before and decide how we wanted them to be seen now,” said Chris Eitel, Director of Design, Vladimir Kagan Design Group.
Eitel and Vladimir Kagan Design Group have reissued a different side of the renowned American furniture designer’s oeuvre with a collection of furniture for Holly Hunt.
The new collection explores the recurring themes of Kagan’s work between the 1940s and 1980s.
Vladimir Kagan is primarily known for his big curvy sofas.
However, the renowned furniture designer’s work, which spans seven decades, is more than just a series of increasingly twists and curves.
One of the best examples of this kind of design is the Roll Back sofa, which Kagan originally designed in the 1960s.
Rife with right angles and straight lines, save for the circular back cushion, it’s a design that has largely flown under the radar until now.
Eitel recalls falling in love with it after seeing the piece at the home of Kagan’s sister in Switzerland.
The Biscuit sofa, meanwhile, looks a bit more like what devotees have come to expect from the American designer, featuring big, dramatic curves throughout its design.
All of the pieces were carefully updated, while still remaining faithful to the original design.
Most of the changes are small improvements that take advantage of more contemporary engineering.
Rollback, for example, was tweaked to include an internal spring system.
The remaking process is helped by the fact that Eitel worked directly with Kagan during his apprenticeship.
The two first started working together in 2013; after Eitel finished school, he began living at the brand’s furniture studio in Nantucket.
He regularly traveled with Kagan and even shared an office with him.
“We learned a lot. We learned how to work together, and how to get his vision out,” said Eitel.
“Doing all of that kind of set me up for doing what we’re doing today and being able to know, Okay, this is how it’s supposed to look, this is the vision he’s trying to convey, this is how to reinterpret his sketch.”
Vladimir Kagan ‘Biscuit’ sofa circa the 1980s and ‘Branch’ coffee table circa the 1960s Vladimir Kagan ‘Roll Back’ sofa circa the 1960s Vladimir Kagan ‘Elegante’ chairs and dining table circa the 1960s Vladimir Kagan ‘Roll Back’ sofa circa the 1960s Vladimir Kagan ‘In Flight’ side tables circa the 1980s Vladimir Kagan ‘Ellipse’ lounge chair circa the 1970s Vladimir Kagan ‘Cycle’ chair
Designer: Vladimir Kagan
Manufacturer: Vladimir Kagan Design Group
Photographers: Steve Bensity
