Porsche Will Sell You A $5,000 Midcentury-Inspired Limited Edition Armchair
Porsche’s Pepita houndstooth pattern cloth has a long history of cosseting the backsides of P-car drivers, having been used in its interiors since the mid-1960s. The pattern is inextricably linked to Porsche history. Likewise, furniture design owes much of what it is today to Ray and Charles Eames. Back in 1948, the Eames brothers developed a fiberglass chair that has become an icon in its own right. Porsche also began its life in 1948. It’s a tenuous link for a collaboration, but Porsche is making the link anyway, and the resulting chairs are pretty damn cool.
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An agreement between Porsche and German furniture makers Vitra has cranked out a trio of chair designs for your home, each more extravagant and visually exciting than the last. They’ll be available in limited production for a whole lot of money. If you want one, you’ll have to grab it quickly, because they’re sure to run out basically immediately.
“The Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra is a symbiosis of the DNA of our companies: iconic design paired with excellent craftsmanship and compelling function,” says Robert Ader, Chief Marketing Officer at Porsche AG. “The timeless Pepita pattern gives the chairs a very striking appearance, whether in your own living room or in the office.”
Image: Porsche
First up is the Eames-style “Plastic Side Chair,” which is limited to 1,963 units and priced at €911, the equivalent of $968. This one does not seem to be available to U.S. customers, which is a shame, because I’d almost think about spending that much money to get one. It’s cool.
If you want to prove to everyone in your office that you’re the boss, you can get this gorgeous high-backed desk chair called “ID Trim L Pepita Edition,” designed by Antonio Citterio for Vitra in 2010. This one is limited to 911 pieces, and it’ll run you $2,530.
Image: Porsche
The final chair in the trio is my favorite, and unfortunately the most expensive. The Petit Repos Pepita Edition armchair was also designed by Antonio Citterio in 2013. With thick Pepita-topped upholstery and an integrated flexible back connection, allowing a deep sit with appropriate relaxed lean angles, this chair is seriously rad. It’ll be produced in a limited run of just 99 units with an outrageous $5,179 price tag. Knowing Porsche dorks (because I am one), this will sell out within minutes.
As luck would have it, I’m in the market for a new desk chair. This collaboration launches on the Porsche online shop on Monday, April 22. If you aren’t in line at 3 AM eastern time when this drop, um, drops, don’t even bother. They’ll be gone by the time you wake up.
Image: Porsche
Image: Porsche
