Thankfully that's not another pirated version of Arne Jacobsen's Swan chair; it's the work of Harlem-based knitwear designer Sinje Ollen, whose "Clothing for Furniture" project covers the classics in custom yarn, and can be seen at the upcoming ICFF in New York. "I specialize in making 'clothes' for '60s furniture that need some help rejuvenating," says Ollen.
Of all the discarded furniture I see curbside in Manhattan, the chief reason they made it to the trash heap seems to be torn, worn or cat-scraped upholstery. Knit covers seem a good way to give them some additional life, while still maintaining the original look...assuming, of course, that you recognize the original look in the first place. At least one commenter on Ollen's Facebook page wrote "I love the chair shape. Did you design that?" It's like an ID history version of Titanic tweets.
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