I think when you talk about mid-century designer ‘replicas’, people generally fall into two camps: Those that say it’s intellectual property theft and a designer’s products should remain their own, complete with the price tags associated with designer items and if we want a piece of that, then we should save our money and buy the real deal; and those that say that good design should be the property of the people, most would not have the cash – maybe EVER – to own beautiful design and recreating those designs means people can have the looks they want without the steep pricetags, still endorse the original’s design and therefore, their brand, and there really isn’t income ‘lost’ per se as they wouldn’t have been able to afford an original regardless.
For me, I can see the strengths of both arguments but I tend to fall into the latter group. Badly designed ‘knockoffs’ to me seem pretentious and in bad taste but beautifully created replicas can mean that a person can capture the spirit of an original, enjoy the beauty of great design and still gain the enjoyment of having something originally dreamed up by a master without having to remortgage their home to do it.
This is where my new sponsor, VOGA, comes in. And the reason I wanted to work with them is because their ethos is exactly the kind of thinking that I support – that good design and a beautiful home should be available to everyone, no matter what their budget. This is what they have to say:
“In the 50s and 60s, Arne Jacobsen chairs graced every stylish lounge you walked into, while Eero Saarinen designs brought functionality and panache to the mass-market like no-one ever had before. By the middle of the 1970s, the typical high-end lounge looked more like an art gallery or design studio than a living room: filled with cutting-edge pieces and timeless classics.
But as time rolled on, things changed. Prices increased, elitism took over and the quality furniture from our childhoods disappeared from homes across Europe. In their place came mass-produced flat-pack pieces that looked boring, broke easily and were impossible to build if the instructions got lost under the sofa, something which caused countless marital arguments and millions of wasted Sundays.
So one day, furious with the way that once accessible high-quality designs had become out-of-reach to so many, we decided that enough was enough. So in 2008; VOGA was born.
We scoured the globe to find the finest materials at the lowest possible prices, bringing these iconic designs back to the people they were intended for. Great design, available to all.
We sought-out the finest Italian aniline leather, the softest cashmere wool and the sleekest steel and oak, and after months of research and investigation, we discovered something incredible. We could re-create the most beautiful furnishings of the 20th Century, from the most opulent armchair to the most intricate clock design, as perfectly as anyone.
From Charles Eamesβs DSW Chair to Poul Henningsenβs Artichoke Lamp, we could craft products that were as stunning and as tactile as the originals, and by responsibly and expertly sourcing materials, we could offer them at prices that brought exclusivity to everyone.”
I truly believe that beautiful design and design classics should not be just the possession of the elite or the rich. If you really do love the design of one of these classics, then why shouldn’t you be able to create a unique look using one or two items in your own home if that is your choice?
So I thought I’d open the discussion to you all. What do you think of designer replicas? While I probably won’t be seen wearing a cheap Chanel knockoff bag personally, I don’t see anything wrong with designer replicated furniture as long as it’s done in a considered way. You may feel differently (and that’s fine)! So please do weigh in – what do you think?
Image credits: 1 & 4 / 2 & 6 – unknown / 3 / 5 – unknown (if you know the original sources, please do let me know!)
Products: Arnie Jacobson Egg Chair / Serge Mouille Wall Light / Eames 670 Lounge Chair / Eames Lounge Chair Stool / Grant Featherston Contour Chair / Noguchi Coffee Table / Poul Henningson Artichoke Lamp / Hans J Wegner Y Chair
This post is in association with my sponsor Voga but all opinions and words (aside from the quote of course) are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create original content on here Swoon Worthy.
I agree, everybody should have the home that they want, and i'm sorry but there is nothing worse than seeing something that you really love, and then you read the price tagοΏ½οΏ½. As long as it's well made, and a good price i can't see a problem xxx
Ace to find new places to peruse! And I get bored with things and don't have endless pots of cash, so definitely the latter camp!<br /><br />Question though….went to the site and it is identical to MADE – same company??! <br /><br />And didn't want to be 'Anonymous' but doesn't seem to want to let me do anything else!! xx
Nope, not the same company as MADE, different products, different company :) But the design of the site is very very similar so I can see why the confusion! <br /><br />And sorry about the having to be Anonymous – Blogger comments can be very temperamental sometimes, so sorry! xx
I agree with you….I think Voga is a fabulous retailer, that brings otherwise affordable design to people without the massive paychecks, making style accessible to everyone (well….maybe not EVERYONE….but you know what I mean!) I think especially as The Eames' , Arne Jacobsen and other members of the 1950's design movement in America (as well as in Scandinavia) wanted to bring design
As a lover of many design classics without the budget to match, I would definitely consider well made replicas. Having said that, it kind of takes away the specialness, too. We saved for a long time to be able to afford our original Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and whilst most people thought we were mad buying something thatβs the price of a small car when our house is still in such an awful
I think it depends. <br /><br />If Voga is using licensed design plans, or have permission from the original designers and is simply making them more inexpensively, I have no problem. If they're blatantly ripping off the inventor of the furnishings and even using the same names, just in quotations, this company isn't going to be long for this world. Intellectual property rights are no
Hi Molly, I think you make an interesting point and so I asked the question of VOGA. Here's what they had to say: <br /><br />"First of all, how re-productions differ from copies or e.g. hand bag copies is a significant difference. We are a 100% legal business. Also we are non-licence holders making it possible to provide design classics at a fraction of the original price. The quality
Generally I would prefer to own an original, but I think well-designed quality reproductions or re-issues of classic designs are good too. Don't like to see cheap and nasty versions though that devalue the originals.
I've debated this one backwards and forwards in my head for a long time, and still don't really know how I feel about replicas! I think there's a big difference between making a budget version of an established design classic (as VOGA seem to), which opens up beautiful designs to those of us who would never in a million years be able to buy an Eames or Arne Jacobsen chair; and the
I totally agree Lucy – I think there is a MASSIVE difference in terms of companies directly ripping off small current designers trying to make a profit, it's complete copyright theft. But these are not copyrighted designs so legally, it's different in the eyes of the law. But… that said, it's a bit of a grey area so it's great to hear everyone's take on it. <br /><br />xx
I've actually been looking at the Voga page for a few weeks now (I was looking for a stylish office chair and came across their site). <br />What has been bugging me for some years now is that basically all the designers we worship today were trying to make good quality and well designed furniture available to everybody. Today we have to pay thousands of euros/pounds/dollars for an Eames
This topic has been stewing away in my mind since last night, and I think it boils down to: While none of us might be able to afford original artwork by, say, Picasso, none of us would have moral issues with buying a print of said artwork. So why are we bothered by 'replicas' of things that were meant to be produced on a massive industrial scale anyway?
This is a good point Alexandra. Many of these designs were made for "the people" and were meant to be relatively inexpensive. Arne Jacobsen has been quoted to say that the series 7 chair shouldn't cost more than 50 kr (5 pounds), many of Eames' chairs were made for the low cost exhibition at MoMa, and many of Mogensen's chairs were made for a supermarket chain in Denmark.
It is a hard one as I used to run a textile design company I can see the argument for protecting IP but exclusivity and having things only available to the super rich makes my blood boil<br />
Bottom line… I shop within my budget which doesn't equate to designer anything! I appreciate the work and talent that has gone into creating fabulous and innovative anything but my funds don't allow for exclusivity or original anything! Thankyou for bringing this site to my attention. Another good hunting ground.
The big debate for sure but I do think replicas are great. The prices of classic pieces are inaccessible for most people. I think VOGA sounds awesome.