Vitra: the Swiss manufacturer that became the European home of Eames
Vitra has been the European licensed producer of Charles and Ray Eames since 1958. They also make Verner Panton, Jasper Morrison, Hella Jongerius and more. Here's the short field guide.
Vitra is the European home of Eames, and that licence is why it is the most actively traded contemporary furniture brand on Whoppah. Willi Fehlbaum founded the company in 1934 in Birsfelden, Switzerland, and it turned in 1957 when he saw the Eames Lounge Chair in a New York shop window. By 1958 Vitra was the licensed European manufacturer of the Herman Miller catalogue, and that licence is still the spine of the range today. Buying secondhand, authentic vintage Vitra from the 1970s and 80s typically sells here at 60 to 80% of current retail for the same model, which is a sensible delta given the build quality is identical. Our curators see Vitra listings from across all 16 of our markets.
Vitra is a Swiss-German company based in Birsfelden, Switzerland, founded in 1934 by Willi Fehlbaum. The pivot moment came in 1957, when Fehlbaum saw the Eames Lounge Chair in a New York shop window and decided he wanted to bring that level of work to Europe. By 1958 Vitra was the licensed European manufacturer of Herman Miller's furniture catalogue, which included Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard. That license is still the spine of the Vitra catalogue today.
Beyond the Eames work, Vitra produces Verner Panton (the Panton chair, the Heart Cone), Jean Prouvé (the Standard chair, the EM Table), Jasper Morrison (the HAL family), Hella Jongerius, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (the Algue, the Slow Chair), Naoto Fukasawa, Antonio Citterio, and Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. It's an extraordinary roster, kept coherent by the Fehlbaum family's design discipline.
The Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, founded in 1989, is the company's other half. If you ever get the chance to visit, the campus (which includes buildings by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, SANAA and Tadao Ando) is one of the most concentrated design experiences in Europe.
How do you recognise an authentic Vitra piece?
What to look for when buying Vitra secondhand: every authentic Vitra piece carries a metal or sticker label with "VITRA" and a serial number. On the Eames Lounge Chair, the label is inside the seat shell, accessible if you tip the chair forward. On the Panton chair, the label is on the underside.
What does vintage Vitra cost on Whoppah?
Original colour pieces (Panton chairs in red, white, brown; Eames Plastic Chairs in mustard or sea-foam) command a premium over current-production beige and grey. Authentic vintage Vitra from the 1970s and 80s typically sells on Whoppah at 60 to 80% of current retail for the same model. That's a sensible delta given the build quality is identical.
