- Want more images or videos?Request additional images or videos from the seller
Vintage Vladimir Kagan for Directional, Serpentine Sofa

About
Details
- CreatorVladimir Kagan (Designer),Directional (Manufacturer)
- DimensionsHeight: 29 in. (73.66 cm)Width: 97 in. (246.38 cm)Depth: 45 in. (114.3 cm)Seat Height: 18 in. (45.72 cm)
- StyleMid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period
- Date of Manufacture1970s
- ConditionWear consistent with age and use. Vintage condition, minor staining to fabric.
- Seller LocationLos Angeles, CA
- Reference Number1stDibs: LU881721932832
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingRates vary by destination and complexity. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
About Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
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.
- By Vladimir Kagan, DirectionalLocated in Los Angeles, CAVladimir Kagan designed Nautilus lounge chairs upholstered in a yellow microfiber fabric which matches the Vladi...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Located in Los Angeles, CABeautiful vintage sofa newly upholstered in a burgundy fabric, the sofa sits low to the ground, it has an exagge...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- By B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigned by Antonio Citterio (Italian, b, 1950) for B&B Italia (Italian, founded 1966), circa 1995. Named after ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsAluminum
- By Moroso, Patricia UrquiolaLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigned in 2008 by Patricia Urquiola and manufactured in Italy by Moroso. The sofa can seat 3-4 people, the ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood, Upholstery
- By Living Divani, Piero LissoniLocated in Los Angeles, CAElegant and comfortable, the distinctive features of Twin are the original proportions of the armrests, back and...Category
Early 2000s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Located in Los Angeles, CAA very unique two-seat sofa made out of recycled Levis jeans sitting on a stainless steel base. The piece is in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
You May Also Like
20th Century American Modern Sofas
Fabric, Lucite
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood, Upholstery, Lucite
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
1990s American Modern Sofas
Suede, Ultrasuede
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Lucite, Fabric, Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Brass
1990s American Sofas
Ultrasuede
The 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Insured Global Delivery