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Vladimir Kagan Furniture

American, German, 1927-2016

The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.

Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.

Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”

A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.

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Creator: Vladimir Kagan
Vladimir Kagan “Zoe” Cloud Sofa
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Providence, RI
This is an authentic Vladimir Kagan Zoe sofa, one of his most iconic designs. The sofa features a curved shape that is both elegant and comfortable. Retains ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Fabric

Exceptional Original Vladimir Kagan 4 pc Sectional sofa by Directional Furniture
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This exquisite 4 piece sectional sofa was designed by Vladimir Kagan and manufactured by Directional Furniture. It retains it gorgeous original upholstery and Directional label an...
Category

Late 20th Century American Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Upholstery

Custom Lighted Display Cabinet by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Dallas, TX
Fabulous custom lighted display/curio cabinet designed by Vladimir Kagan. Features 1/2" interior shelves, glass door, rounded edges, and chrome plinth ...
Category

1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Vladimir Kagan “Zoe” Cloud Sofa
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Providence, RI
This is an authentic Vladimir Kagan Zoe sofa, one of his most iconic designs. The sofa features a curved shape that is both elegant and comfortable, with dee...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Ultrasuede

Vintage Pair Vladimir Kagan Nautilus Corkscrew Swivel Chairs New Blue Velvet
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Amazing pair of Vladimir Kagan for Directional swivel arm chairs, nautilus corkscrew design. These have been newly upholstered in a beautiful teal blue velvet. Dimensions: 29 H x 34.5 W x 16 seat...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Velvet

Vintage Vladimir Kagan for Preview Sectional Sofa
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Vintage Vladimir Kagan sectional sofa Modular sofa Postmodern MCM Minimalist Retro 1970s-1980s The sofa comes in 2 sections. Newly Upholstered with...
Category

1970s Unknown Post-Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Bouclé

Vladimir Kagan for Directional 'Cloud' Sofa in New Nubby Bouclé, c 1980, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan, Directional
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This spectacular Vladimir Kagan 'Cloud' sofa was produced by Directional Furniture in the 1980s and was just newly reupholstered in a gorgeous nubby bouclé fabric, and is signed underneath with Directional label and has the lucite center support leg. The color of the bouclé is a very light oatmeal color - close to ivory and off-white. In brighter light settings it appears to be white but in darker or regular room settings you can see the slight tan color it possesses. We've searched for years for the best bouclé fabric and this one is quite exquisite, with bigger and softer pile and thicker backing than all the others we have found. *NOTE, the Philip & Kelvin LaVerne 'Chan' cocktail table shown in the photos is not priced in this set however is available for purchase in another listing. In addition, we have a matching ottomans on casters, three 'Corkscrew' swivel club chairs and other configurations of the 'Cloud' sofas, contact with questions and for more details. Kagan, inspired by his early 1950s Kagan-Dreyfuss 'Serpentine' sofa and his later 'Shorty' sofa, designed his popular and classic always-in-demand 'Cloud' sofa for Directional Furniture with all of its sensuous Post-Modern curves and signature lucite bar fitted between two cylindrical bases. This pair of sofas feature the pouf / ottoman on the right side (if you are sitting on the sofas) which allow you to face the sofas towards each other in a Yin / Yang formation. Also both sofas are the style with the more in-demand 'center back' vs the style which has the 'wrap around arm'. This particular style is more rare and desirable so having both sofas with this style is difficult to achieve as they are harder to find. If you need a different configuration contact us as we have other Cloud sofas in stock that are ready to be reupholstered. Collectors and designers, it's hard to find a matching pair together - here's your opportunity, but hurry - this design is hot and sell fast as they are a staple for interior designers looking to create a magazine cover interior. This Vladimir Kagan cloud sofa is so popular today with interior designers and collectors - the demand for Kagan's designs keep growing year after year. There is something timeless about the shape and silhouette of this couch and the comfort level is through the roof. Combine this was the on-trend off-white / oatmeal boucle fabric - and this sofa is a recipe for exquisiteness. This Vladimir Kagan for Directional curved Cloud sofa...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Bouclé, Lucite

Vladimir Kagan Corkscrew Swivel Chairs for Directional in Bouclé, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan, Directional
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Newly reupholstered in a soft and nubby light beige bouclé, these 'Corkscrew' swivel chairs, also often referred to as 'Nautilus', by Vladimir Kagan for Directional, circa 1980s / 90s are signed with Directional labels underneath. These classic Post-Modern club chairs swivel...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Wood, Bouclé

Vladimir Kagan for Directional 'Cloud' Sofas in New Nubby Bouclé, c 1980, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan, Directional
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This spectacular pair of Vladimir Kagan 'Cloud' sofas were produced by Directional in circa 1980 and were newly reupholstered in a gorgeous white nubby bouclé fabric, both sofas signed underneath with Directional labels. Kagan, inspired by his early 1950s Kagan-Dreyfuss 'Serpentine' sofa and his later 'Shorty' sofa, designed his popular and classic always-in-demand 'Cloud' sofa for Directional Furniture with all of its sensuous Post-Modern curves and signature lucite bar fitted between two cylindrical bases. Each sofa has a different back style, one which wraps around one side and the other centralized. Having both styles together in the same room was the signature look that Kagan made popular - a beautiful way to creatively signify how two separate individuals, while different, can live harmoniously together. You can have the sofas face each other or place them side by side as you can see in the photos. Collectors and designers, it's hard to find a matching pair together - here's your opportunity, but hurry - these matched pairs sell fast as they are a staple for interior designers looking to create a magazine cover interior. *This listing is priced for the pair of sofas, if you wish to only purchase a single see our other listings for these sofas individually priced or contact us. These Vladimir Kagan cloud sofas are so popular today with interior designers and collectors - the demand for Kagan's designs keep growing year after year. There is something timeless about the shape and silhouette of this couch and the comfort level is through the roof. Combine this was the on-trend white boucle fabric - and this sofa is a recipe for exquisiteness. These Vladimir Kagan for Directional curved Cloud sofas...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Lucite, Bouclé

Early 'Serpentine' Sofa by Vladimir Kagan, circa 1960, Signed and Registered
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This incredibly rare 'Serpentine' sofa (Model 150-BS) by Vladimir Kagan has just been authenticated by Kagan Design Group and includes a signed registration tag and authentication packet which includes a typed letter explaining the details around the history of the sofa. This gorgeous early production 'original' of the Serpentine design is from the late 1950s to early 1960s based on the construction details as detailed from Kagan Design, they explained in an email: "The Serpentine Sofa is indeed an excellent example of an early Kagan curved sofa...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Vladimir Kagan Leather and Mohair Executive Desk Chair, circa 1979, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This gorgeous leather, mohair and brass executive desk chair by Vladimir Kagan for Vladimir Kagan Designs, Inc is a rare authentic signed example with its original label underneath the chair seat, designed in the 1970s and this example crafted in Kagan's workshop in circa 1979. Featuring a telescoping 4" range of height adjustment and tilt adjust features, curvaceous contoured leather and tufted mohair seat and back, one of Kagan's hallmark design features is that curvy sensuous back that resembles the soft waves of water, 5-star brass height and tilt adjustable base with brass topped casters, and brass cubist arms with matching dusty rose pink leather cylindrical padded arm wrests. This rare collectors piece is ideal for both the consummate collector and the interior designer who has the most demanding of clients. If you want something special that your neighbors and friends don't have - or if you are a discerning collector of Vladimir Kagan's designs and shopping for an office or desk chair, this is one item you should scoop up before it is sold and no longer available. This elegant Vladimir Kagan Executive Desk...
Category

1970s American Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Brass

Vladimir Kagan Balboa Sofa
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Westport, CT
Vladimir Kagan Balboa sofa, upholster in a off white terrycloth Chenille fabric.
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Foam

Vladimir Kagan furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Vladimir Kagan furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of fabric and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Vladimir Kagan furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 281 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 8 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Vladimir Kagan were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll, and Directional. Prices for Vladimir Kagan furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,190 and can go as high as $110,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $12,500.

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