- Porsche partners with Swiss furniture company, Vitra, to upholster three chairs with its legendary Pepita fabric.
- Since the Porsche 356, the Pepita pattern has graced the interiors of the automaker’s sports cars.
- Sales of the limited edition chairs will begin on April 22.
Few automakers are as closely associated with a particular upholstery as Porsche is with its “Pepita” fabric. The small houndstooth pattern has been seen in some of its most legendary vehicles, and soon you may be able to find it in your home.
Porsche is partnering with Vitra, a Swiss furniture maker, to create a collection of three chairs covered in the automaker’s original Pepita fabric. The collection comprises a rolling desk chair, a swiveling armchair, and a plastic side chair.
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They will all be covered (in varying degrees) with the upholstery pattern, which first became officially available as an option on the Porsche 911 in 1965. However, it was available before that, on the 356, but only when requested specially, so it’s quite rare. The fabric has since been used in special models, like the 911 Sport Classic.
Now, it will also be applied to the Eames Plastic Side Chair, which was created by design legends Charles and Ray Eames. Envisioned as a low-cost, comfortable piece of furniture whose back rest was made of a single piece of material, its legacy has since been cemented as one of the most recognizable chairs on earth.
Built by Vitra, the chair, especially with its Pepita fabric, is a little less affordable. Prices start at £911 (around US$1,132 at current exchange rates) in the U.K. but, unfortunately, it won’t be offered to U.S. customers. Only 1,963 examples will be sold worldwide.
The other two chairs will be available in America, staring on April 22. The ID Trim L Pepita Edition and the Petit Repos Pepita edition were both originally designed by Milanese architect and designer Antonio Citterio. While the armchair (the Petit Repos) has a black back and a Pepita face, the desk chair (the ID Trim L) is completely covered in the houndstooth pattern, apart from a black neck pillow.
Vitra will produce only 911 units of the ID Trim L Pepita Edition desk chair, with prices starting at $2,530. Additionally, just 99 units of the Petit Repos Pepita Edition armchair will be made, with prices starting at $5,179.
