Nike chair by Richard Neagle for Luigi Sormani, Italy 1968
[SOLD] A futuristic lounge chair with an exciting history. Over 60 years ago Disneyland California initiated the NOVA House of the Future project. In 1954 Richard Neagle was asked to design an entire range of products (all thermoformed plastics) for this specific project. One of them was the Nike chair that was very well received by visitors and press alike and was taken into production in 1968.
Jacky Kennedy (when she was still married to Onassis) had chosen this chair for her yacht "Cristina". In 1970 the Nike chair was on display in the Victoria & Albert museum during an exhibition about the best chairs since 1918.
Richard Neagle was born in 1922 (USA) and moved to Italy in 1958 where he opened a design studio in Milan. In 1970 he became Director of Product Development at the Herman Miller corporation. In 1991 he moved back to Italy (Luca). In 2002 he donated his design archive to the University of Parma. He died in 2006 at the age of 84. He is considered to be one of the best designers of the twentieth century.
The Nike chair in our collection is totally original. Which is quite unique since most chairs have been re-upholstered (in leather), resulting in losing that typical stitched patern of the original cushions. There are no cracks in the plastic shell. It is very solid without any play in the base. Some minor paint chips due to age. All in all in fantastic condition! A timewarp item with strong historic value.