Herman Miller has recently re-released one of George Nelsons design classics, the swag leg group of furniture using recycled polypropylene for the chair shell.
Originally released in 1958, George Nelsons design brief was " Wouldn't it be great to have some kind of sculptured leg on a piece of furniture?". He also wanted the legs to be easy for the consumer to assemble, so the desk and tables could be shipped flat packed.
Swaging--a process of using pressure to taper and curve a metal tube--proved the best way to produce the legs.
Permission was gained from Charles and Ray Eames to use the process they developed for moulding plastic to mould the chair shell.
An authentic licenced reproduction of the originals, utilising recycled polypropylene in the chair shells is a great way of bringing a 20th century classic into the 21st century.
