WICKER CHAIR by Marc Newson, IDEE Edition

In the late ‘80s, Marc Newson designed the Felt Chair, which would become one of his most famous pieces.
The idea occurred to him to create a wicker version of the Felt Chair, and thus this version was born. Tubular steel is molded to the shape of the chair, then a fiberglass shell is placed over the skeleton, and the woven rattan goes on top

Having designed pieces for Idée for several years, Marc decided to take advantage of the company’s avid working relationship with a wicker factory in Thailand to make a wicker version of the Felt Chair. It took six weeks of daily work to weave the first chair, which ended up not meeting his expectations in terms of quality. Subsequent ones were perfected, and the steel frames were made according to a jig Marc had fashioned.

The Wicker Chair is manufactured by Idée in Japan and still offered by Galerie Kreo

Marc Newson
Born in Sydney in 1963, Marc Newson spent his childhood traveling in Europe and Asia. His mother took a job working for a leading Australian architecture firm, exposing Newson to design at early age. He attended Sydney College of the Arts to study jewelry and sculpture, graduating in 1984. Newson was awarded a grant from the Australian Crafts Council to stage his first exhibition where he presented his Lockheed Lounge Chair that would be purchased by the National Gallery of Southern Australia. Newson moved to Tokyo in 1989 where he met the owner of Idée, Teuro Kurosaki with whom he would produce numerous designs for over the years. From Tokyo, Newson moved to Paris before settling in London and opening his own design studio, Marc Newson Ltd. Not one to be categorized, Newson has designed cars, jets, and watches in addition to his iconic furniture. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. His work is housed in the collections of several major museums around the globe including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.