The Original is by Vitra

When a Vitra object arrives in a home, an office or a public space, it already comes with a long story. One of a designer who, in collaboration with Vitra, starts a seemingly endless development process, filled with trials and errors. One of a manufacturing attitude where the details are not the details, but what makes the quality of your new piece. And you take this tale forward, enriching it with the stories of your own space.


Our story began in 1953 when Willi Fehlbaum, the founder of Vitra, discovered chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames on a trip to the USA and decided to become a furniture manufacturer. He met the designer couple in person a short time later and developed a lasting friendship that has shaped our company ever since. Over the past decades, we have worked closely with some of the world’s most important designers and their descendants. These collaborations have led to the production of many classics: furnishings from another era that remain as timely and vital as ever and continue to move and inspire us. As a furniture manufacturer, we maintain a close relationship with our designers – whom we refer to as authors – and the result of these collaborations is always an original. In collaboration with us, our designers dedicate their time, expertise and craftsmanship to the development and launch of new products.

Following in the tradition and spirit of Charles and Ray Eames, the sustainability of design is central to all activities at Vitra. The family-run company believes in the power of designs that forgo stylistic trends and eliminate superfluous details. The longevity of Vitra products is the combined result of their design, function and quality. Vitra products are designed and developed in Switzerland. The products are manufactured in Germany and other European countries with EU-sourced components, using materials that are strictly tested for quality and longevity.

Invest in an original, for it will always retain its worth. An imitation will never be anything but a copy, a stolen idea. Appreciate the differences – not just the quality and more obvious variances but also the sensory and emotional appeal of the authentic product. An original is a lifelong companion and may well outlive you to be gratefully received by the next generation.