Jordan Betten of Lost Art has teamed up with McGuire Furniture to create a one-of-a kind chair collection. Taking five of McGuire’s most iconic chairs, Betten has re-envisioned them with a rock and roll vibe.
“Betten’s work is incredibly creative, and he has envisioned some of our classic chairs in an entirely new way,” said McGuire President Kendra Reichenau. “He uses only the finest materials and fine tuned hand-craftsmanship—two qualities we very much admire.”
Betten is a New York City-based artist and the founder of Lost Art, a luxury leather brand, which began in 1997. The Lost Art collection includes clothing, accessories, motorcycles, instruments and guitar cases. Collectors include Lenny Kravitz, Steven Tyler, Sean Lennon, Sheryl Crow and many others.
“The contrast between McGuire's classic, casual aesthetic and the Lost Art bohemian collection is so unexpected that it just made sense for both of us to work on a limited edition series,” said Betten. “The inspiration came from the leatherwork that Lost Art does for fashion clients the world over. It's all about taking exotic fabrications, stitching and detailing and complimenting the McGuire chairs.”
Here’s a look at the collection:
The Target Dining Chair, designed in 1984 by Elinor McGuire has been re-interpreted with a brown calfskin hide on the seat and frame.
The Butterfly Chair, originally designed by Edward Tuttle, takes on a new personality with the use of a cobra skin seat, arms and back laced with leather fringe. As in his figural art, Betten followed the existing curves of the back and arms to create a sense of movement around the frame.
Playing off of the pop art inspired pattern of rattan circles of the Laura Kirar Dining Arm Chair, Betten doubled the affect, tying in additional brass rings in the back and arms of the chair. The python skin wraps the entire frame, as though it were constricting the rattan beneath.
Another Elinor McGuire original design, the Cracked IceTM Chair combines a rough layer of alligator skin with elegant, curved arms and back.
Crystals and feathers adorn the newly-fashioned Barbara Barry Script Side Chair. Reminiscent of a dream catcher, Betten uses the negative space within the calligraphic back to incorporate more detail. Hand-tied feathers frame the outside of the chair, adding a note of whimsical charm.
“The combination of McGuire's long standing commitment to hand work coupled with our stitch work and detailing, which is also done by hand, made this collaboration feel like a natural fit,” said Betten. “We are both really excited about it.”
The chairs will be on display at McGuire San Francisco for the month of February and Baker Knapp & Tubbs’ Los Angeles showroom in March. Prices start at $7,000.
