MINI, Danish furniture maker present ‘Drop chair’

In a matter of few days the three-door as well the five-door MINI car from BMW will be unveiled in Mumbai, India. But MINI is also in the news as it has along with Danish furniture maker Republic of Fritz Hansen presented a new take on the legendary Drop chair. According to a BMW press release, five years on from their first joint venture – the “MINI Airstream by Fritz Hansen” trailer concept – their second collaboration is to be presented during the blickfang design exhibition in Copenhagen from November 15 to 16, 2014. It takes the form of a modern homage to the Classic Drop chair, now sporting an iconic MINI look. This lounge seat was designed for the renowned SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen back in 1958, the year before the classic Mini revolutionised the automotive scene. Today it ranks among the most celebrated pieces of iconic furniture design.

“Along with our rigorous design standards, the textiles used in the MINI have to meet a whole range of requirements,” says Annette Baumeister, Head of MINI Design Colour and Trim. “The materials must be timeless, comfortable and functional. Transferring this expertise to a furniture classic was an exciting challenge,” she added.

The seat cushions of the Classic Drop Chair and the Modern Drop Chair with their stitched inserts lend both chairs the aura of an automotive interior, while contrast stitching and coloured piping – hallmark MINI styling cues – cite the brand’s familiar design language. The Classic Drop Chair designed by MINI and made from premium fulled nappa leather features a piped insert that harks back to the seats of the classic MINI. Its Pepper White legs echo one of the most popular bodywork colours for the current MINI family for several generations. On the Modern Drop Chair with its fabric / nubuk leather combination, the key highlights are blue leather and a sophisticated stitched diamond pattern that made its first appearance in the MINI Clubman Concept presented at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

In 2010 MINI became a premium partner of the blickfang design exhibition, which was inaugurated in Stuttgart in 1992 and is now held annually in six cities. Depending on the location, between 150 and 220 designers from the world of furniture, fashion and jewellery showcase their latest collections at the fair. Drawing on its unique recipe of design expertise, source of inspiration and retail therapy, blickfang has over the years emerged as a major hub within the international design scene.