Design Icon of the 20th Century: Charles Eames
Words: Violet
The 20th century was positively chock full of icons in every conceivable field – you had your Steve McQueens and Marlon Brandos in film, Muhammed Alis and Peles in the sporting arena but, when it comes to icons in design, you really need look no further than the entirely inimitable, Charles Eames. There were, quite simply, no designers quite as revolutionary and, indeed stylish, as the wonderfully eccentric and talented Charles Osmond Eames.
Born in 1907 in St. Louis, Eames was an American designer of some considerable repute and he was largely responsible and one of the main catalysts for the Modernist movement in furniture design which dragged the industry out of the mundane doldrums in which it was residing and into a much more contemporary and eye-catching collection of furniture. During his illustrious career (Eames died in 1978) he was responsible for some of the most important designs of the last century and his benchmark piece was almost certainly the exceptionally simple but devilishly stylish and comfortable ‘Relax’ Lounge Chair and Ottoman.
Charles Eames served as an inspiration for other designers at the time and still remains a source of ideas and outside of the box thinking to today’s designers and he is rightly considered one of the 20th century’s most important characters and an icon in his own right. A brilliant mind coupled with a real verve for life made Eames stand out like a beacon in his own time and he is still shining bright today.
You can see some of Eames’ best designs at SwivelUK.
By Leo Parker
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