Charles and Ray Eames
"What works well is better than what looks good, because what works well lasts." - Ray Eames
Two names that cannot be ignored in the design world - Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames couple is one of the most important personalities in the field of design in the 20th century. Probably the most influential US architect and designer of the 20th century by far, Charles Eames was born on 17 June 1907 in St. Louis in the US state of Missouri. He studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
Ray Eames was born Bernice Alexandra Kaiser in Sacramento in 1912. Her talent became apparent very early, her extraordinary talent for drawing was already discovered at the age of three. She first studied painting with Hans Hofmann in 1939 before beginning a four-month design course at Cranbrook Academy. There she not only worked with Eero Saarinen, but also met Charles Eames. Together with Ray, Charles started an unprecedented career - with the creation of numerous pieces of furniture that are still at the top of the design world today: the Plastic Chairs, the Lounge Chair or also the House Bird, to name just three of them.
In addition to designing furniture, the two have also made films, photographed and put together exhibitions. Vitra is the only legitimate manufacturer of Eames products for Europe and the Middle East.
