Launch of the Robin Day Centenary Edition at twentytwentyone
twentytwentyone celebrated the launch of the Robin Day Centenary Edition at its River Street showroom last night.
Launch of the Robin Day Centenary Edition at twentytwentyone
twentytwentyone has marked the centenary of Robin Day‘s birth with a very special edition of one of his most iconic designs: the Reclining chair.
A select group of ten British Designers have been invited to cover the chair in a fabric of their choosing; the result is a fondly respectful tribute to a designer who continues to inspire and influence, and to a timeless piece of design.
Speaking at the event, Paula Day (daughter of Robin and Lucienne Day and founder of the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation) said:
“When I first saw the list of designers involved I realised that this would be such a thoughtful response to my father’s work. The fact that all ten designers instantly agreed to take part says a great deal about their generosity of spirit and their respect both for my father and for twentytwentyone. It is a wonderfully creative compliment to my father and I know he would have loved the fact that ten such distinguished designers are paying tribute to a design that he developed in his 30s.”
Paula Day noted how many of the designers had referenced Day’s love of mountains and outdoor activities in their choice of fabrics for the Reclining chair, saying: “I have been particularly moved to see designers refer to my father’s passions beyond of the world of design. These allusions to the other dimensions that made up the man I knew are very touching.”
The contributing designers are Barber & Osgerby, Ilse Crawford, Tom Dixon, Martino Gamper, Kenneth Grange, Matthew Hilton, Margaret Howell, Michael Marriot, Jasper Morrison and Terence Woodgate.
Terence Woodgate said of his choice of fabric: “that fact that it is called Outback seems appropriate for a man who enjoyed the wilderness.”
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby revealed that they had been inspired by a photograph which showed Robin Day in his studio with a large panoramic photograph of a mountain range in the background, saying: “the colours we chose for the chair were in direct reference to the greens and greys of those snow-capped mountains.”
Michael Marriot said of his involvement in the Centenary Edition: “It feels a real privilege to be invited to make some small intervention with one of his pieces. My approach was to find something that – while contemporary – was totally at home with the feel of Robin’s chair and that had a similarly distinguished character and poise, like the man himself.”
Paula Day also revealed the unexpected resonance of one particular designer’s choice of fabric. The Mourne fabric selected by Margaret Howell had previously been used by Robin and Lucienne Day to cover another chair that stood in their Cheyne Walk home – Day’s High Wide and Handsome chair, described by Paula Day as “a great hug of a chair.”
The Robin Day Centenary Edition Reclining chair is exclusive to twentytwentyone.
All ten chairs are currently on display at the River Street showroom and can be viewed online.
