Collection Story
Origin
The Carimate is a 1959 design by Vico Magistretti. Fritz Hansen and its fact sheet say it was originally designed for the Carimate golf club north of Milan, which gave the chair its name, and that it became a highly prized collectable piece in Magistretti's work. Wikipedia's article on Magistretti quotes The Guardian, which calls the Carimate chair, there described as produced by Cassina, his first great success and a bestseller for years.
Design Language
For Fritz Hansen the chair has a bold personality and finely detailed construction. The Guardian quotation on Wikipedia, about the Cassina-produced chair, describes a mix of the rural simplicity of a straw seat with urban sophistication, smooth lines in the wooden supports and legs, and touches of Scandinavian design.
Key Pieces
- Carimate Chair VM120, reintroduced by Fritz Hansen in natural beech and in black coloured ash with a paper cord seat