Bibendum from classicon

Bibendum – an icon turns 100

The Bibendum armchair takes its name directly from the famous Michelin Man – Eileen Gray was not only inspired by its round, friendly shape when designing the piece, but also adopted the name itself. ‘Bibendum’ derives from the Latin toast ‘Nunc est bibendum’ – literally translated as ‘Now let us drink’ – from an ode by the poet Horace. Michelin turned this into its famous advertising slogan, which symbolises how tyres ‘swallow’ obstacles.

And that is precisely the feeling you get when you sit down in the armchair: The soft, padded rings are reminiscent of tyres stacked on top of one another and envelop you like a gentle embrace. This is how Gray draws on the mascot – but in her own, playful way: not just as a figure, but as an experience that you can actually feel.

Eileen Gray herself offered the armchair for sale in her own gallery, Jean Désert, in Paris. In 1929, she also furnished her famous Villa E.1027 with a Bibendum. This extraordinary piece of seating thus became part of her holistic modern lifestyle concept. It was not until the 1970s, shortly before Gray’s death, that the design was rediscovered. In 1973, the designer authorised the London-based firm Aram Designs to mass-produce her furniture – including the Bibendum – for the first time.

The designer – Eileen Gray

Born into an Irish-Scottish aristocratic family, Eileen Gray went to London and Paris to study architecture and design. She first made a name for herself as a leading designer of lacquered walls and decorative panels. Her theories on design and architecture shaped our conception of living spaces: her work is regarded as the epitome of modernism.

Gray’s tubular steel furniture, revolutionary at the time of its creation, is now regarded as a classic.

Authorised by The World Licence Holder Aram Designs Ltd, London