Luxury design brand Holly Hunt is unveiling new pieces in its Vladimir Kagan portfolio, these designed by Chris Eitel, Kagan’s long-time apprentice and protégé, who is now director of design and production for the Vladimir Kagan Design Group.
The Forward collection is debuting during Design Miami Nov. 30-Dec. 4 and will be available at other Holly Hunt showrooms in the spring.
Following Kagan’s death in 2016, Eitel shepherded the brand through a series of contemporary reintroductions of Vladimir Kagan’s most iconic designs. The Forward collection – the first of Eitel’s own designs – is an extension of this effort, marking a new chapter for the Vladimir Kagan Design Group, according to a news release.
The collection includes a sofa, two loveseats, a bench, a stool and a coffee table with an emphasis on sculptural forms, negative space, organic shapes and cantilevered engineering.
“Vladi was a prolific creator, even at the age of 88. He always embraced new materials and shapes and anticipated what was coming next, which taught me to be forward-thinking,” Eitel said. “The Forward collection is my way of honoring and building upon Vladi’s legacy of iconic curved silhouettes, growing the portfolio in the way I know he would have hoped to do himself.”
Here’s a look at the other new pieces:
The Bienenstock coffee table is a nod to the Omnibus collection and its signature Lucite bases, which became a defining material for Kagan throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Eitel incorporated a built-in decorative storage box that appears to float in the center of the table. The box features a high-gloss lacquered finish and lined with the customer’s own choice of fabric or leather.
This contemporary stool with hand-carved walnut legs and a supportive fabric or leather seat mimics the ergonomic shape of a Western or English riding saddle. It is available in a bar and counter-height version.
Subtle stitching creates a channeled bench seat that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing, resting on a sculpted wooden frame with modern flying buttress legs.
Reminiscent of Kagan’s limited-edition Annecy sofa, Eitel’s sculpted wood loveseat features a dramatic whiplash curve in stacked walnut that fully embraces a kidney-shaped seat. It’s available with an open or closed back.
“Having worked so closely with Kagan for many years, Chris has a deep and unique understanding of the Vladimir Kagan brand. Each piece in the Forward collection demonstrates his fluency in Kagan’s design philosophies and DNA while steering the design language in new, innovative directions,” said Jo Annah Kornak, senior vice president and executive creative director of Holly Hunt.
Timed around the launch of the Forward collection, Pointed Leaf Press will issue a third edition of “Vladimir Kagan: A Lifetime of Avant-Garde Design,” a chronicle of the late designer’s rise to international recognition. A new Afterword by Eitel offers an intimate look at the designer.
