Lovesac Brings Basement-Era Nostalgia to Hypebeast Cup NYC

At the Hypebeast Cup space in New York, Lovesac has furnished the viewing area with its signature plush chairs, transforming it into a nostalgic basement-era viewing party.

Propped up around the space, the Sac’s have provided a comfy seat for commiseration and celebration across the course of the World Cup, which ended this past weekend with a win for Spain.

Although it looks like one, the Sac is not, strictly speaking, a beanbag. There are no beans. The original, sewn by 18-year-old Shawn Nelson in his parents’ Salt Lake City basement in 1995, was stuffed with the remnants of the family’s camping mattresses – which is why Sacs hold their shape where beanbags deflate.

Nelson sold Sacs from the back of a van at college events, registered the company name for $25 in 1998, and took an order for 12,000 units from a national teen retailer before he had a factory. The first store opened in 2001, the modular Sactionals sofa followed in 2006.

These days, the Sac’s are made from a so-called Durafoam blend. The silhouette, however, still carries a specific nostalgia – dorm rooms, basements, the floor of a friend’s house during a tournament summer – and a room full of Sacs suits a clubhouse designed for staying put.

Hypebeast Cup New York runs at 430 West Broadway through July 19.