In the 1940s, Charles Eames was looking forward while other American designers were content to stay put. New materials, new techniques, new shapes. Charles Eames had help during his experiments, mainly his wife Ray and Eero Saarinen. When they presented one of their concepts to Herman Miller and received a very positive reaction, they realized that they had finally done it. The Herman Miller Eames chair achieves luxury and elegance while at the same time appealing to the masses. You should watch this fabulous vintage video about the making of the Eames fiberglass chair.
The designers were focused on the new plastics because this exciting material held the promise of being able to do more with less. They realized that plastic could be molded into organic shapes that would conform to the shape of the body.
The Eameses adapted molding techniques developed during World War II to produce the shells. They also perfected another technique with which they had been experimenting—creating a bent, welded wire base. The result was the process that allowed the manufacture of the first mass-produced one-piece plastic chairs. No upholstery, no covering. Charles and Ray Eames, true to their design philosophy, wanted the actual materials of the chair to take center stage. And they still do, in keeping with the designers’ original intent. This is really a must for all the design lovers out there: if you wanna buy a good quality replica ( the original by Herman Miller is still expensive), check MilanDirect.
