WOMB 75

On Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023, PIN–UP and Knoll celebrated the 75th birthday of an American design icon: the Womb chair. Released in 1948 by Eero Saarinen for Florence Knoll, it was the first lounge chair with a fiberglass shell to hit the commercial market. Many stories surround the naming of the chair, including one about Saarinen wanting to create a nursing chair for his wife, Aline. In 1949 he wrote: “A great number of people have never really felt comfortable and secure since they left the womb.”

The Womb’s birthday came to life at Knoll’s sleek New York headquarters overlooking the bustling lights along Sixth Avenue. Guests, including Knoll’s new design director Jonathan Olivares, sipped rose-hued “Florence 75” cocktails created by the mixologist Candice Williams and perused an exhibition showcasing the chair’s design legacy. A cake designed by food artist Suea stole the spotlight, topped with a berry-covered chocolate Womb chair of its own.

For Skype Williams’s event’s playlist, click here.

LINK TO PIN–UP x KNOLL PLAYLIST