View more
The collab marks the first joint effort between the two modern furniture icons.
BY JOHNNY BRAYSON
Herman Miller
When furniture giant Herman Miller purchased a majority stake in upstart Danish designer brand Hay in late 2019, fans of modern design were salivating at the prospect of the two companies putting their heads together to create some special pieces. Well, it’s taken three years, but Hay and Herman Miller have finally unveiled their first-ever collaborative collection.
The capsule is meant to mark 20 years of Hay, which was founded by husband-and-wife team Rolf and Mette Hay in 2002. The duo was approached by Herman Miller earlier this year to see what kind of project they’d like to work on together, and the Hays decided to do something to honor their biggest professional influence: fellow husband-and-wife design team, Charles and Ray Eames.
For the collaboration, Hay has put its unique Danish spin on eight classic Eames designs for Herman Miller, utilizing playful new colors and innovative new materials to create pieces that show off the Eameses’ unmatched eye for mid-century modern design through Hay’s contemporary lens.
To come up with the new colors, the Hays studied the Eames archives for inspiration, while also scouring over out-of-production patterns produced by Alexander Girard, who was the founding director of the textiles division at Herman Miller and a frequent collaborator of the Eameses. Seven exclusive colorways appear across the collection, including Toffee, Iron Red and Powder Yellow. There’s also a re-edition of Girard’s long-defunct Jacob’s Coat color from 1955, which upholsters the collection’s edition of the Eames Sofa Compact. Material changes include cast-glass balls in place of wood on the Eames Hang-It-All and cast-glass tops on the Eames Wire Base Low Table and Universal Base Round Table.
Herman Miller is also employing 100% post-consumer recycled plastic for the Eames Molded Plastic Shell Chairs (with and without arms), just as they have recently begun doing across their entire Shell Chair portfolio. Rounding out the collection are outdoor-ready powder-coated Eames Wire Chairs and a special version of the Eames Molded Plywood Chair that’s finished in Hay’s signature emerald green shade.
For lovers of mid-century modern and contemporary Danish modern alike, this is a collection that can't be missed. The entire line is available starting today from Herman Miller, with prices ranging from $345 for the Hang-It-All to $6,500 for the Sofa Compact.
