Recently we were tasked with borrowing a book about good design from the GSA library. We had a brief group discussion, each person explaining why they chose the books they did, and we were told to explore the books and write a blog post on them.
Truthfully, I chose ‘The Complete Kagan’ because I liked the cover. Although this seems like a thoughtless way to choose a book, I feel it's quite apt for a book about design, as I think a lot of what makes us choose objects and products is that we think it looks quite nice.
A little background on Kagan, before I begin. Vladimir Kagan was a German-born designer who moved to America with his family just before the second world war. His father was Russian and had been held as a prisoner of war in Germany during the first world war, which once he was released, was where he settled and met his wife. The family was Jewish and experienced a lot of segregation and abuse during the rise of the Nazi party leading to the second world war. They were forced to leave due to their Russian citizenship, and Kagan remarks in his book how lucky they were to get out of Germany when they did.
The prologue of the book is written by the designer Tom Ford, whose brand you might know for bags, clothing, and fragrance. He talks about how when he was designing Gucci stores in the 1990s, one of Kagan’s sofas was at the core of the design and one was placed in each of the 360 stores worldwide. This made me think; how many things are designed to complement other designs? Can we attribute any great design solely to the designer or should that accolade be shared with their family, friends, environment, etc.?
Vladimir Kagan’s father, Illi Kagan, was a craftsman and owned several workshops where he produced wooden furniture. His work was well respected and loved. I wonder how much influence he had on Vladimir and whether Illi had not had to uproot his life several times due to war if the book I’m reading would be about him rather than his son. This poses the question of what other designers and designs would we consider influential if circumstances had been different.
The Barrel chair, shown above, is described by Kagan as one of his most important creations and revolutionary at the time it was designed. It was inspired by the design of the Zepplin airships which were made of fabric covering a steel frame. I think they are quite beautiful pieces, they look comfortable and I would say their design is quite timeless. I particularly like the contrast of the curving lines of the seat with the sharp legs sticking outwards. Something about it feels slightly endearing, like a children’s character waddling around.
Comfort was important to Kagan, and he utilised the new materials of the time to achieve this. Using rubber strapping he was able to make the sofa itself soft and flexible, removing the need to rely on cushions for comfort, and allowing his designs to shine through. Shown above is the Serpentine sofa, which Kagan describes as one of his most important designs.
I love his use of organic shapes throughout his designs and his tables encapsulate this brilliantly. The wood shines through, clearly showing the influence of his father's wood crafting skills. The glass complements the curvature of the wood but also contrasts through its material. This is a piece I would love to have in my home if I could afford it! (The going rate is between $3000-$5000)
Last but certainly not least is the Omnibus sofa. This is a modular sofa that allows the user to arrange it in different ways to create a unique furniture piece in their home. It allows different heights as well as layouts. This makes me think of making a ‘fort’ with blankets and cushions with your sofa as a child, for me, it allows childish fun in a sophisticated and adult way.
The thing that stuck out to me the most throughout the book was that nearly all of his designs seem to be being recreated today, I know I have seen chairs in IKEA emulating his designs, and countless iterations of his Unicorn table. It shows how exquisite his designs were to still be featured so much today.
One of the things I like about Kagan's design philosophy is that he always designed with the end user in mind. He studied anatomy and this knowledge was heavily called upon in his chair designs, taking into account the curve of the neck and back and integrating lumbar support. This to me a great design. Great to look at and great to use. I am now a great fan of Vladimir Kagan.
Website: https://www.vladimirkagan.com/
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Kagan
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