Vitra Eames EA 217 Soft Pad Office Chair

American husband and wife design duo Charles and Ray Eames have had a profound influence on the visual character of American life, producing original work within the fields of architecture, furniture design, industrial design, manufacturing and the photographic arts.

Charles and Ray’s partnership was a truly equal enterprise, with both bearing responsibility for each stage of a piece’s construction, from original conception and design, through to final production. Commenting on the importance of their shared responsibilities as a design team, Charles Eames is quoted as saying “Whatever I can do, she can do better”.

1957 was the year in which the Eames’ first partnered with Vitra to produce some of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the history of interior design. Today Vitra celebrates the history of its partnership with the Eameses by continuing to reflect their philosophy on design and functionality, which can be best understood through Charles’ own words: “Recognising the need is the primary condition for the design”.