Seeming to defy gravity, the S-chair springs upward from its base in a sinuous, fluid flourish. It’s a sculptural yet practical masterpiece by British designer Tom Dixon (b. 1959), who saw it go into production through a collaboration with Italian manufacturer Cappellini in 1991. It began as a sketch that had bird-like qualities.
“I have often been asked what the inspiration was behind the S-chair and, honestly, the only memory I have is of drawing a small doodle of a chicken . . . and thinking that I could make a chair from it,” said Dixon.
Born in Tunisia, Dixon moved to England as a child and enrolled in the Chelsea College of Arts at 18. He got into a motorcycle accident, dropped out and decided to pursue music with his band Funkapolitan instead of returning to school. He pivoted to design soon afterward in the mid-1980s, when he taught himself to weld. It was then that he built his first S-chair prototype made from a welded frame and upholstered with woven marsh straw.
“My slightly more successful designs seem to be ones that can be read in different ways, often quite opposite to their original intent,” said Dixon. “If the original departure point for the S-chair for me was a chicken, it has often been described by others as a female form, by some as a flame or, frequently, as a 1960s-influenced Pop object.”
It’s hard to deny a connection to mid-century modern design, however — a cursory glance at Verner Panton’s Panton chair from 1967, for example, reveals a cantilevered, free-flowing form similar to that of Dixon’s chair. But the furniture maker distanced himself from such designers with his rough-around-the-edges approach — a DIY attitude that softened somewhat when Dixon went to work for Cappellini in the late 1980s. In the case of the S-chair, it is still available in the original straw upholstery as well as in leather, stretchy fabrics and wicker.
Dixon would go on to become head of design and then creative director of furniture company Habitat. In 2001, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for his services to design. Dixon established his own eponymous firm in 2002. His furniture, including the revered S-chair, is held in the collections of many museums around the world.
Bird Chaislongue designed by Tom Dixon for Cappellini, Italy in the 1990ies
By Cappellini, Tom Dixon
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
Bird chaise longue, designed by Tom Dixon for Cappellini, Italy, approx. 1990ies Tom Dixons Bird features a monolithic form. It´s silhouette gives a very clear and graphic appearanc...
Fabric, Felt, Plastic, Foam, Plywood
$664Sale Price|26% Off
Vintage Tom Dixon Blow Light Pendant Fixture, Floor, Table Lamp, Early 2000s
By Tom Dixon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage Tom Dixon blow light pendant fixture, floor, table lamp, early 2000s. Rare piece. In production for a short time. Made in UK. Currently wired fo...
Acrylic
Tom Dixon S-Chair in Gold Leather and Metal Structure by Cappellini 2000s
By Tom Dixon, Cappellini
Located in Cascina, Pisa
The S-chair has a metal structure and seat in gold leather, it was designed by Tom Dixon and produced by Cappellini in the 2000s. Tom Dixon’s iconic S-Chair is an object with a hand...
Metal
S-Chair, design Tom DIXON for CAPPELLINI. Italy, 1992
By Tom Dixon, Cappellini
Located in Torino, IT
S-Chair, design Tom DIXON for HATCHES. Italy, 1992 ORIGIN Italy PERIOD 1992 DESIGNER Tom DIXON (Sfax, Tunisia, 1959) A self-taught British designer, he moved to England at the age...
Metal
$683 / item
Arm chair by Tom Dixon
By Tom Dixon
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Set of 10 armchairs base in wood black lacquered and purple fabric van be divided
Fabric, Wood
Custom Tom Dixon Linear Pendant Chandelier Set of 5, Copper and Blue
By Tom Dixon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Custom Tom Dixon Linear pendant chandelier Set of 5, Copper and Blue. All pendants new in box. Ceiling pendant also new in box. 1 Blue Copper...
Acrylic
Tom Dixon Step Beat Tall White Pendant Light Fixture, Copper, Contemporary UK
By Tom Dixon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tom Dixon step beat tall white pendant light fixture, copper, contemporary, UK. Rare, Gorgeous piece. Was in production for a very short time. 2 available. Listing is for one. A concentric pendant...
Copper
Tom Dixon Step Beat Fat White Pendant Light Fixture, Copper, Contemporary, UK
By Tom Dixon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tom Dixon step beat fat white pendant light fixture, copper, contemporary, UK. Rare, gorgeous piece. Was in production for a very short tim...
Copper
Tom Dixon Lens Clear Polycarbonate Globe Pendant Chandelier, Discontinued
By Tom Dixon
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
A striking Tom Dixon Lens pendant chandelier, an innovative contemporary lighting design composed of approximately 60 individual molded polycarbonate lenses assembled into a dramatic...
Plastic
$1,049Sale Price|60% Off
H 52.37 in W 43.31 in D 22.45 in
Tom Dixon Speed lounge chair for Space Design, UK 1999
By Tom Dixon
Located in London, GB
A rare lounge chair by British designer Tom Dixon for Space Design. A delicate braided rope has been systematically woven across its iron frame, a method Dixon employed in various ea...
Rope
Tom Dixon 'Press' Modern Mini Clear Glass Sphere Pendant
By Tom Dixon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tom Dixon 'Press' Modern Mini Clear Glass Sphere Pendant The 'Press' Mini pendant is part of Dixon's series of LED lighting and accessories executed in thick pressed glass. The diff...
Glass
$5,500
H 27.25 in W 21 in D 25.25 in
1990s Marcel Wanders for Droog Green Rope "Knotted Chair" by Cappellini - Italy
By MARCEL WANDERS, Cappellini
Located in St. Louis, MO
A rare and spectacular icon of late-20th-century avant-garde design: the "Knotted Chair" (Model KC_1), designed by the legendary Dutch designer Marcel Wanders in 1996 for Droog Desig...
Epoxy Resin, Carbon Fiber
Wicker Arm Chair by Paleck
By Palecek Furniture
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional wicker arm chair by Palecel Furniture, in very fine, original, clean and ready to use condition, showing only light cosmetic wear, normal and consistent with age. The ch...
Wicker
$1,170 / item
H 11.8 in Dm 11.8 in
Tom Dixon 'Press' Modern Clear Glass Round Pendant, 11.8-inch diameter
By Tom Dixon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tom Dixon 'Press' Modern Clear Glass Round Pendant, 11.8-inch diameter The 'Press' pendant is part of Dixon's series of LED lighting and accessories executed in thick pressed glass....
Glass
$555 / item
H 9.6 in Dm 9.8 in
Tom Dixon 'Pose' 10-inch High Gloss Off-White Conical Adjustable Steel Pendant
By Tom Dixon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tom Dixon 'Pose' 10-inch High Gloss Off-White Conical Adjustable Steel Pendant Executed in high-gloss off-white putty metal with a kinetic magnetic element. With an integrated dimma...
Metal
$1,588
H 41.74 in W 19.69 in D 20.48 in
1 x Hourglass Rope Dining Chair Tom Dixon Style Metal Frame UK, 1980s Postmodern
By Tom Dixon
Located in London, GB
An amazing hourglass rope chair designed after the famous 'S' chair of Tom Dixon. The chair is weaved with rushed rope weaved around a metal frame. It holds a playful and beautiful...
Iron
Elba Lunga Chaise by Franco Raggi for Cappellini, Italy, 1980s
By Franco Raggi, Cappellini
Located in Dronten, NL
A sculptural and rare Elba Lunga chaise longue designed by Franco Raggi for Cappellini, Italy, circa 1980s. This striking piece exemplifies Raggi’s poetic approach to postmodern desi...
Stainless Steel
Tom Dixon Swarovski Crystal Palace Chandelier
By Tom Dixon
Located in New York, NY
A rare limited edition Tom Dixon designed chandelier for Swarovski for the Crystal Palace collection. The chandelier is composed of a polished chrome fi...
Crystal, Chrome
Tom Dixon 'Beat Stout' Black Metal and Hammered Brass Pendant
By Tom Dixon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tom Dixon 'Beat Stout' Black Metal and Hammered Brass Pendant The 'Beat' pendant is part of Dixon's iconic Y2K series of LED lighting and accessories executed in hammered brass. Des...
Metal
$795 / item
H 11.8 in Dm 17 in
Tom Dixon 'Pose' Putty Off-White High-Gloss Conical Adjustable Steel Pendant
By Tom Dixon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tom Dixon 'Pose' Putty Off-White High-Gloss Conical Adjustable Steel Pendant Executed in high-gloss putty powder-coated metal with a kinetic magnetic element. With an integrated dim...
Metal
Sold
H 40.16 in W 17.33 in D 20.48 in
Set of 4 Black Leather "S" Chairs for Cappellini by Tom Dixon - 1990s
By Cappellini, Tom Dixon
Located in Roma, IT
A striking set of four “S” Chairs, designed by Tom Dixon and produced by Cappellini in the 1990s, one of the most recognizable icons of late-20th-century design. Metal, painted iron...
Metal
Sold
H 35.44 in W 28.35 in D 28.35 in
Rare Tom Dixon Grab Chair Design EPS Chair Polystyrene Chair O-BASF Brutalist
By Tom Dixon
Located in Stow on the Wold, GB
A wonderful rare chair by Tom Dixon and manufactured by EPS 2006 "Grab Chair" Made from polystyrene, making the chair lightweight, however surprisingly robust and comfortable. Stam...
Polystyrene
Tom Dixon for Cappellini Wicker S-Chair
By Tom Dixon, Cappellini
Located in Rochester, England
Designed by Tom Dixon, one of the best known British designers of the 21st century, the S-chair went into production with Cappellini in 1991. The S-chair is instantly recognisable, thanks to its sculptural silhouette and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, making it a true design icon. The S-shaped seat is constructed from wicker, with a curved high backrest which flows seamlessly into the seat. The chair sits on a circular steel base, creating a cantilever effect, as if the seat is defying gravity. A true design classic, this Tom Dixon S...
Wicker
Tom Dixon S-Chair with Marsh Wicker for Cappellini, 20th Century
By Tom Dixon
Located in Hamburg, PA
A wonderful Tom Dixon S-chair with Marsh Wicker for Cappellini. This iconic chair would look great in any Modern or Contemporary interior. Great accent piece. Available for purchase today. Octagonal pedestals shown in the images are available in another listing. Also in the manner of McGuire, Bielecky Brothers, BB Italia, Rattan, Split Reed, Pencil Reed. From Cappellini's 1st Dibs site: "The iconic S-chair by Tom Dixon...
Wicker
