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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
Dealer: Obsolete
Floating Curved Sofa by Vladimir Kagan, America, 2018
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Culver City, CA
Floating curved sofa by Vladimir Kagan America, 2018 Model - 176SC sofa, originally designed in 1952. Measures : 82.75” L x 37”D x 30”H x 16.5”...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Vladimira Kagan Sofa, America circa 1975
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Culver City, CA
Vladimira Kagan Sofa America circa 1975 Mohair upholstery with lucite base. Measures 94”L x 50”d x 29”h x 19”seat
Category

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

Materials

Mohair, Upholstery, Lucite

Serpentine Sofa #2 by Vladimir Kagan, America circa 1980
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Culver City, CA
Newly upholstered in Alpaca / Wool Blend by Rosemary Hallgarten. Measures 95”L x 48”d x 29”h x 18”seat.
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vladimir Kagan Furniture

Materials

Wool, Alpaca

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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 274 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 10 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, Directional, and Florence Knoll. Prices for Vladimir Kagan furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £959 and can go as high as £88,692, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £10,119.

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