How two iconic brands collaborated for a new range of furniture
Vitra for Porsche. Two brands passionate about design, craftsmanship and innovation – and now bringing a new dimension to classic designs
Sometimes, a collaboration occurs that makes perfect sense. Take Vitra and Porsche, who have come together to create an exclusive, limited-edition furniture collection. Two brands with much in common. One, a company with a global reputation for making class-leading products for the home, office and public spaces, the other known the world over for its range of sportscars. A collaboration built on shared philosophies of purposeful design and great craftsmanship that help inspire, excite and make lives better.The result is the exclusive collection Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra, manufactured by Vitra and tied together by a singular fabric – the legendary Pepita – that over the years has become one of the symbols of Porsche style. Discover the story behind the Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra.What is Vitra?It was in 1950 that Erika Fehlbaum began the process of creating a manufacturing facility in the German town of Weil am Rhein, just over the border from the Swiss city of Basel. Thirteen years previously, her husband Willi had taken over a shopfitting company called Graeter in Basel, but the new production site saw the company adding the name Vitra to it – the name by which the company is known, worldwide, today. In 1957 it began making, under licence, the acclaimed Eames Fiberglass Side Chair, designed by the legendary American husband and wife design team of Charles and Ray Eames. Since then, Vitra has established itself as one of the leading names in home, office and public space furniture. Today, it’s still headquartered in Birsfelden, near Basel, with manufacturing facilities in Weil am Rhein and Hungary, as well as a factory in Japan for the Asian market. It remains a family-owned business – current Vitra CEO, Nora Fehlbaum, is the granddaughter of Willi and Erika.A shared dedication to great design, developing innovative products and true craftsmanship means that Vitra and Porsche were perfect partners for a unique collab | PHOTO: PorscheThe story behind the Vitra and Porsche collaborationAt the heart of the collaboration – the three limited-edition Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra chairs – lies a tale of two brands with plenty in common. Both maintain strong ties with family, of course, but it goes way beyond that. For both Vitra and Porsche, their products are the result of continual innovation, of the value of form following function, and of the considered evolution of the products that each develops and makes. And it’s about the enduring impact that great craftsmanship and design can have on our lives.It’s notable that the famous Eames Side Chair – a new version of which appears in the Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra range – was first presented at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1948. A modern, groundbreaking design that continues to be loved to this day. The year 1948 also proved to be a landmark one for Porsche too. It was, of course, the year that saw the reveal of the Porsche 356.All this history and time-honoured expertise is poured into each of the three chairs that make up the Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra collection. Elegant, useful furniture, designed and manufactured by Vitra and featuring a fabric and design that Porsche is very proud of – one that has six decades of history itself.What is the famous Porsche Pepita fabric?It was back in 1965 that a simple, elegant, black and white fabric became an official option in the equipment catalogue for the new Porsche 911 sportscar, having first been used in some of the last examples of the 356 manufactured by the company. Called Pepita, it would be a feature of 911 sportscars well into the 1970s. Today, Pepita remains one of the best-known and best-loved of all Porsche interior fabrics. Manufactured in Germany to this day, it comes as no surprise to learn that when the one millionth Porsche 911, painted in Irish Green, rolled off of the production line in 2017, it was Pepita that Porsche turned to for its interior fabric. Meanwhile, today’s 911 customers can choose Pepita for their interior with the Heritage Design Package Classic option. And now it’s the turn for Pepita to be chosen as the fabric for the new Vitra for Porsche collaboration.Groundbreaking chair meets classic Porsche fabric: the Eames Plastic Side Chair Pepita Edition | PHOTO: PorscheEames Plastic Side Chair Pepita Edition For anyone interested in the world of design, the names of Charles and Ray Eames are written large. Their work spanned the breadth of design and the creative arts, but arguably their greatest legacy is the Eames Side Chair. As the Eames Fiberglass Chair, it was developed in 1948 as part of an entry for the International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design, run by the Museum of Modern Art. Soon after it first went on sale in 1950, it became the chair to buy – a design that could fit in anywhere, whether home or office, school or restaurant.Vitra began making the chair under licence in 1956. It now produces versions in the original material, fibreglass, and plastic. As the name suggests, the latter is the material used in the production of the Eames Plastic Side Chair Pepita Edition by Vitra. Covered, as all the three chair designs in the series are, with Pepita fabric, it’s an all-new take on two classic designs. With 1963 copies of the chair being made – a nod to the year that the Porsche 911 was revealed – it’s a match made in history.Form follows function for both Vitra and Porsche: the ID Trim L Pepita Edition | PHOTO: PorscheID Trim L Pepita Edition The work of Milan-based designer and architect Antonio Citterio – whose association with Vitra goes back to the 1970s – the ID Trim L is one of a range of chairs made by Vitra. In the shape of the ID Trim L Pepita Edition by Vitra chair, its high backrest – which helps offer extra relief from tension in the head and neck – is again covered in the distinctive Pepita fabric. There will be 911 copies available for sale worldwide. No prizes for guessing the inspiration for that number!Like every chair in the collection, the Petit Repos Pepita Edition is crafted in Germany – just like the fabric its cover is made with | PHOTO: PorschePetit Repos Pepita EditionThe collection is completed by the Petit Repos Pepita Edition by Vitra. Originally designed, once again, by Antonio Citterio, this low living room chair features a flexible back connection that allows you to lean back and sink into the chair for even more comfort. Limited to just 99 copies, it is, of course, resplendent in Pepita fabric.For more information, including how to register an interest in the Porsche Pepita Edition by Vitra, click here.
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