Eames Demetrios Explores What the Revered Vitra and Eames Partnership Means in Design Today

When talking about the history of American modernist icon Eames, it is almost always followed by a mention of its manufacturer Vitra. Their relationship is both enduring and personal, rooting back to the ‘50s when founder Willi Fehlbaum discovered the furniture of Charles and Ray Eames and later, a long series of regular meetings that followed the initial encounter at the Eames Office in Los Angeles and at Vitra’s base in Basel. Since then, the two brands have worked closely to put out pieces that have changed the course of design across the world – from its plastic Shell Chair to the sought-after Lounge Chair.

Today, the Eames brand is succeeded by the founders’ grandchildren where Eames Demetrios oversees the Eames Office alongside his siblings. Their roles are important in “communicating, preserving and extending” the pioneering design legacy in both commercial and cultural contexts as well as finding new possibilities in furniture and architecture with their established blueprint at the heart of design. Meanwhile at Vitra, the Fehlbaum family continues to nurture a close-knit relationship with the third generation of the Eames family, with Nora Fehlbaum at the helm of the manufacturer. Together, they work to adapt Eames’ existing portfolio of designs to suit the evolving needs of users today.

This week, Demetrios joins Lucia Dewey Atwood of the Eames Foundation, Vitra CEO Nora Fehlbaum and other figureheads to look back at the storied history between the two brands in a dedicated “Vitra Session.” Through intimate conversations and a guided tour of the Eames Collection at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein Germany, the session sets out to educate on the various ideas and products that have contributed to the success of the brands, straight from those who know their history the best.

Ahead of the event, Demetrios takes a moment to sit down with Hypebeast in an exclusive interview, sharing a more personal look at his connection with Eames. Read on to find out more.

Hypebeast: Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Eames Office.

Eames Demetrios: My personal mission is tangible, continuing the physical production of authentic Eames designs (some beloved classics, others never or rarely seen), but also abstract on matters centered around communications and exhibitions. I believe that as beautiful as the Eames objects are, the ideas behind the rich and wide-ranging body of work deserves just as much recognition.

How has your role been central in maintaining the design outlook established by Charles and Ray?

The last thing my grandparents thought of when designing a chair was how it looked. They were not trying to express themselves, they were trying to express the need that the design was intended to address – its purpose. Long after the Eames’ designs went into production they kept finding ways to make them even better. Taking that idea further, Charles and Ray recognized that if they wanted their furniture to live on, systems design would be critical – and we are proud to be part of that system together with a partner like Vitra. As my brother Byron puts it, ‘Charles and Ray asked us to do two things: take care of the Eames House and take care of the designs.’ Our family has done exactly that for more than 35 years.

In your eyes, what does Eames stand for today?

Eames stands for design at its best. Its holistic vision of design couldn’t be more relevant than it is today. There are three values that underpin their vision: Charles and Ray had a willingness to surrender to the design journey by prioritizing the process; they never delegated understanding—their designs could reflect an intuitive grasp of the problem and possibilities (and constraints) in various solutions; third, they saw the role of the designer as that of a good host, anticipating the needs of a guest. I’m in India right now, where there is a Sanskrit proverb: “The Guest is God.” This notion puts the human being at the center of the design process. I think the Eames belief in this idea is the explanation for the international impact of their designs.

Going back to the designs themselves, I would put the LCW up against any chair ever in the category of beauty. As for impact, the Eames Plastic Shell, the Eames Lounge Chair, and the Eames Aluminum group have few, if any, peers. But the Eames’ impact is beyond furniture – they made landmark films, world-changing exhibitions, were pioneers in television, made toys sold by MoMA half a century after introduction, fabric designs that grace sneakers, and in architecture they made a house that broke a lot of rules—but not the rule of comfort.

Take us through the Eames and Vitra dynamic.

Though the Eames Office is led by the Eames family who make films, exhibitions and many other things, we have redefined ourselves to be focused almost exclusively on the achievements of Charles and Ray Eames. Vitra consults with me as Director of the Eames Office on the production of authentic Eames designs and on matters of exhibitions and other communications related to their oeuvre. On the Vitra side, the third generation of the Fehlbaum family is represented by Rolf’s niece, Nora Fehlbaum, who has headed the company since 2016.

From the Vitra Design Museum to the various books and publications, how has Vitra been successful in connecting Eames to the public?

Vitra’s commitment has been quite remarkable, starting with Rolf Fehlbaum’s acquisition of a key collection of prototypes from the Eames Office in Venice, to sponsoring and co-operating with exhibitions of all kinds. Some exhibitions have been at major museums under the strictest academic and curatorial protocols, while others, more flexible and commercial, have appeared in hundreds of public spaces across Europe and the Middle East. These varied types of exhibits are necessary for connection with the widest possible audience. In 1997, one exhibition we did together traveled for nine years to 19 venues in nine countries. In 2017, four different Eames- themed exhibitions filled every venue on the Vitra Campus. In addition, I have personally contributed to a number of Eames publications by Vitra.

The Design Museum is also an important reference point for future design and will make an appearance in the Vitra Session. Tell us a bit about the pieces exhibited there.

The Vitra Design Museum holds an extraordinary collection of Eames furniture prototypes – a resource which is often consulted in our work with Vitra. To view these cherished objects in person is to experience a certain kind of authenticity that I treasure – the direct con­nection across time. When I see Charles’s office – installed at the Vitra Schaudepot on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein – I remember standing there with him in Venice California, aglow with the afternoon light that streamed in through the frosted glass, the Pacific Ocean not so far away. The early Lounge Chair prototypes, the first experimental wooden shells, the shell chairs adorned with drawings by an artist friend are all so romantic and wonderful.

Both Vitra and Eames boast family ownerships, how has this added a layer of authenticity in what you produce together?

When Charles and Ray were alive, they were the advocates for their designs in dialogue with the manufacturers. This system of continuous design dialogue ensured that each product leaving the factory gave users the true experience of function, aes­thetics and quality that they intended. The term “quality” refers not only to materials, connections, and details, but also to the cultural value and philosophy embodied by the designs.

As the sole distributor of Eames designs in Europe and the Middle East, Vitra adhered to the Eames’ values and followed the production processes developed by the Eames Office to meet the couple’s exacting standards of quality. Vitra supported Charles and Ray Eames in the continual optimization of their designs following market release. This passion for thoughtful improvement of designs is key to the special partnerships with our manufacturers.

In these past decades, I have seen how important another form of authenticity was to Charles and Ray. This is the notion that the chair the Eameses were really designing is the chair that Vitra makes tomorrow. Charles and Ray knew that if they had to touch every chair personally for it to be considered authentic, not only would the benefits of mass-production be lost, but authenticity would die with them. Therefore, they focused on creating systems to be sure that authenticity could be preserved.

One of the biggest topics in the modern design world is sustainability. In what ways are Eames and Vitra working towards a more sustainable future?

Charles and Ray knew that in the modern world, change was a constant. Charles even said, “In order to be really secure, you must be secure in change.” Their film Powers of Ten is, in many ways, the ultimate environmental statement – when they built the Eames House, Charles and Ray changed the design radically to harm less trees and protect a meadow. The notion of sustainability was part of their very spirit.

Our grandparents would have applauded today’s focus on sustain­ability, but they knew they could not anticipate every aspect of every topic. Instead, we took the role of determining the authenticity and value of future modifications and new materials with the help of Vitra. Taking the example of the Eames Shell Chair from 1950, one of the most impactful furniture designs of the 20th century. The Eameses themselves experimented with new materials and initiated new production techniques. Then, from the late ‘80s, shells in the Fiberglass evolved to shells in 100% recyclable Polypropylene to an improved fiberglass production technique. From January 2024, the shells of the Eames Plastic Chairs will be made from recycled post-consumer plastic stemming from German households. The Eames Plastic Chairs RE are updated versions of the legendary Fiberglass Chair.

Working together since 1956, Herman Miller and Vitra are the authentic sources of designs by Charles and Ray Eames.

Sign up to the upcoming Vitra Session by heading to the brand’s website now. To find out more about the relationship between Eames and Vitra, be sure to shop the new coffee table book online and at select stockists worldwide.