In 1957, Willi Fehlbaum, a furniture manufacturer based in Weil am Rhein, visited a department store in New York. He discovered the Eames chairs produced by Herman Miller and returned convinced: these pieces had to exist in Europe. He contacted Charles and Ray Eames, secured an exclusive production licence and founded what would become one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of design.
At UBER-MODERN, authorised Vitra dealer in Paris, we have distributed the fruit of this alliance for fifteen years. Here is its story, and why it continues to define the standards of contemporary furniture.
Charles and Ray Eames: Two Minds, One Philosophy
Charles Eames was born in Saint Louis in 1907. Trained as an architect at Yale, he joined the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where he met Ray Kaiser, a painter trained at Black Mountain College. Their marriage in 1941 was also an intellectual fusion: Charles and Ray shared a founding conviction: good design is not a luxury, it is a necessity. A well-conceived object must be accessible, honest in its materials and coherent in its proportions. This philosophy, heir to the Bauhaus and American modernism, guided every one of their creations.
We want the best for the most people.
The Meeting With Vitra: A Story of Trust
When Willi Fehlbaum approached Charles and Ray Eames in 1957, the answer could have been a polite refusal. The Eames were protective of their work and wary of reproductions that betray the spirit of a piece. But Fehlbaum convinced the two designers that Vitra shared their quality standards.
The agreement that followed was exclusive: Vitra became the sole authorised producer of Eames pieces in Europe and the Middle East, a status it holds to this day. This exclusivity guarantees that every piece respects the specifications, materials and proportions intended by Charles and Ray Eames.
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, launched in 1956 in the United States, became the most visible symbol of this alliance. With its noble wood veneer shells and full-grain leather cushions, it redefined what a living room armchair can be.
The Founding Pieces of the Eames Collection for Vitra
| Family | Key pieces | Main characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Residential seating | Lounge Chair, RAR, La Chaise | Noble veneer, leather, organic forms |
| Eames Plastic Chairs | DAW, DAR, DSW, DSR | Recycled polypropylene, multiple bases and colours |
| Aluminium Chairs | EA 104, EA 117, EA 118 | Fabric stretched between polished aluminium uprights |
| Tables and storage | Segmented Table, ESU | Modularity and coherence with seating |
The Eames Plastic Chairs, now produced in recycled polypropylene, retain exactly the proportions and curve of the original fibreglass pieces from the 1950s. The Aluminium Chairs, designed in 1958, embody the synthesis between industrial aesthetic and domestic comfort.
Vitra Today: Guardian and Innovator
Rolf Fehlbaum, Willi's son, expanded Vitra's vision well beyond production. Under his direction, Vitra became a cultural actor in design: a foundation, a museum, an architectural campus entrusted to Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano and Frank Gehry. Today, Vitra produces at Weil am Rhein using 100% renewable energy and continues to edit pieces by new designers while preserving the entire Eames catalogue.
At UBER-MODERN, we hold a wide selection of Vitra pieces in our showroom on Boulevard Haussmann, along with fabric and material samples to personalise your order.
